Warriors Descended 3: Tricks of Magick
by digital devotion
Summary: Things are starting to heat up in the war against DarkClan. When a ThunderClan cat turns up dead with a strange hole in her body, Rowanwind learns of a new threat to the cats who make the forest their home! Can Rowanwind stop it all? 3rd in a series of 6!
1. Allegiances Page

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all for reading this far! I hope you are all enjoying my series! Like I did with _Pawsteps of Danger_, I am going to be updating this allegiances page as I go through the story. Make sure you check back often to see if I've changed anything!

**Spoiler Warning:** I realize that those who are just starting to read this installment of _Warriors Descended_ will be given spoilers if they read the entire Allegiances page before reading the story. If you want to read the Allegiances page, do so knowing that you may read about things that you haven't read about yet in the story.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters that are listed here. Please don't steal any of them.

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**ThunderClan**

LEADER:

**Clawstar** – large, dark gray tom, very light green eyes

DEPUTY:

**Rowanwind** – ginger tom, yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Purepaw**

MEDICINE CAT:

**Frostflower** – white and ginger she-cat, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Maggotpaw**

WARRIORS:

**Oakpelt** – gray and white tom, yellow eyes; Rowanwind found out he was having an affair with Maplerose of RiverClan

**Apprentice, Webpaw**

**Rainfur** – gray she-cat, yellow eyes; mother of Webpaw, Nimblepaw, and Sootpaw by Icefur

**Apprentice, Nimblepaw**

**Granitetail** – dark gray tom, white face, white paws, light yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Sootpaw**

**Thunderstripe** – black tom, pepper stripes, yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Palepaw**

**Crookedfern –** very large, white and black tom, green eyes

**Apprentice, Duskpaw**

**Reedclaw** – white, cream, and black tom, light yellow eyes

**Meadowlark –** gray she-cat, dark gray tail, yellow eyes

**Blackcloud –** black and white tom, light yellow eyes

**Thornfur** – black tom, white paws, yellow eyes

**Quickpelt** – ginger brown she-cat, black stripes, light blue eyes

**Twigleaf** – ginger she-cat, dark ginger stripes, yellow eyes

**Wetpelt –** black she-cat, white chest, light yellow eyes

**Lightdew** – cream and white she-cat, light green eyes; mother of Purepaw and Palepaw by Crookedfern

**Mistmeadow** – silver and white flecked she-cat, light yellow eyes

**Cedarspirit –** ginger tom, white paws, amber eyes

**Cloverpelt –** brown and cream she-cat, sapphire blue eyes

**Darkeye** – gray and dark gray tom, yellow eyes

**Gingerheart** – ginger-brown she-cat, light brown eyes; was once a Twoleg

**Stormypelt –** silver and gray she-cat, few black stripes, light blue eyes; sister of Brownclaw, Smokefrost, and Willowsky; is still considered the leader of the remaining kittypets

**Silvermoon** – silver and white tom, sapphire blue eyes

APPRENTICES:

**Webpaw** – silver and dark gray flecked she-cat, light green eyes; (Webpelt)

**Nimblepaw** – silver and white she-cat, amber eyes; (Nimbleclaw)

**Sootpaw** – blue-gray tom, yellow eyes; (Sootpelt)

**Maggotpaw **- silver she-cat, black stripes, light brown eyes; daughter of the rogues Slug and Thicket; sister of the rogues Whisker and Stench; all of her family members were murdered by DarkClan; Whisker was kidnapped; (Maggotstripe)

**Purepaw** – white and black tom, light green eyes; (Pureheart)

**Palepaw** – black and white she-cat, sky blue eyes; (Palefur)

**Duskpaw**– black tom, right eye blue, left eye green; was once a DarkClan tom named Switch

QUEENS:

**Snowcloud** – white and cream she-cat, soft blue eyes; mother of Stormkit by Oakpelt

**Softcreek** – white, cream, and dark brown she-cat, yellow eyes; mother of Summerkit and Springkit by Granitetail; adoptive mother of Coldkit

**Poppyflower** – ginger she-cat, black stripes, green eyes; elderly queen that helps with kits

ELDERS:

**Tenderclaw** – black tom, yellow eyes, many battle scars

**Quickleaf** – light gray she-cat, green eyes, no hair on end of tail-tip

**Barrenoak** – brown and dark brown tom, light amber eyes

KITS:

**Stormkit** – dark gray tom, white chest, white paws, light yellow eyes; (Stormtail)

**Summerkit** – gray and brown she-cat, gray eyes; (Summerflower)

**Springkit** – dark gray and brown she-cat, light amber eyes; (Springfoot)

**Coldkit** – dark gray tom, white chest, white claw-shaped mark over nose and forehead, yellow-green eyes; secret son of Oakpelt and Maplerose of RiverClan; thought to be the son of a deceased rogue; (Coldfur)

DECEASED:

**Stripedpelt** – brown she-cat, black stripes, white chest and paws, light amber eyes; medicine cat before Frostflower

**Noblestar** – ginger tom, green eyes; leader before Goldenstar; father of Goldenstar and Frostflower

**Grayfeather** – silver and gray tom, yellow eyes; deputy before Clawfang; father of Barrenoak

**Hazelstripe** – brown tabby she-cat, black stripes, silver eyes; mother of Quickpelt and Twigleaf

**Smokemask** – white she-cat, black face and paws, blue eyes; mother of Blackcloud and Thornfur

**Foxtalon** – ginger tom, amber eyes; drowned in battle against ShadowClan a few days before Thunderpaw and Darkpaw were born

**Hollowriver** – light ginger tom, light yellow eyes; killed by a fox the day before Rowankit and his siblings were born

**Fernflight** – white she-cat, brown and cream face, soft blue eyes; died from greencough

**Patchpaw** – gray she-cat, white chest, blue eyes; died from greencough

**Cindermoon** – silver long-furred she-cat, dark amber eyes; mother of Ashfang and Wetpelt; died from greencough

**Mothkit** – black she-cat, white paws, light yellow eyes; died from greencough

**Smokekit** – black tom, white face, light green eyes; died from greencough

**Tumblekit** – brown tom, ginger stripes, soft blue eyes; died from greencough

**Stripedkit** – brown she-cat, black stripes, yellow eyes; died from greencough

**Goldenstar** – ginger tabby tom, amber eyes; lost his last life when he was possessed by Tigerstar's spirit

**Ashfang –** silver she-cat, dark gray stripes, very light green eyes; died during a battle against DarkClan on the island

**Sprucebark** – ginger tom, dark ginger stripes, amber eyes; died of old age

**Dapplefoot** – dark brown she-cat, light gray eyes; died in an attack by DarkClan; she tried to help save Clawstar from being kidnapped

**Cottonbrave** – silver and gray long-furred tom, dark gray tail, yellow eyes; died in an attack by DarkClan; he tried to help save Clawstar from being kidnapped

TRAITORS:

**Icefur** – blue-gray tom, yellow eyes; left ThunderClan to go and join DarkClan and instead became their slave; he is now forced to hunt and clean for DarkClan

**RiverClan**

LEADER:

**Featherstar** – long-furred gray she-cat, amber eyes

DEPUTY:

**Rapidriver** – blue-gray tom, amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT:

**Blizzardclaw** – black tom, white speckled muzzle, yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Blossomfur**

WARRIORS:

**Fogpelt** – gray tom, black stripes, white paws, light green eyes

**Apprentice, Ashpaw**

**Boldstripe** – cream tom, brown stripes, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Sunpaw**

**Willowfoot** – silver and gray she-cat, soft blue eyes

**Apprentice, Scorchpaw**

**Jaggedscar –** white, gray, and black tom, missing right eye, light blue left eye

**Splinterclaw** – gray tom, white chest, yellow eyes

**Timberpelt –** silver she-cat, few gray stripes, amber eyes

**Yellowheart –** brown tom, gray face, yellow eyes

**Torchfur –** dark brown and ginger tom, amber eyes

**Nightflower** – black and white she-cat, yellow eyes

**Lilyfur** – white and gray she-cat, sky blue eyes; mother of Sunpaw and Scorchpaw by Torchfur

**Whiskerclaw** – gray tom, light blue eyes

**Woodpuddle** – dark brown tom, blue eyes

**Daisyclaw** – black she-cat, white paws, yellow eyes

**Brushgrove** – gray and black tom, dark amber eyes

**Lionstorm** – brown and dark brown tom, silver eyes; was once a Twoleg named Leo

**Willowsky** – gray and silver she-cat, sky blue eyes; sister of Stormypelt, Brownclaw, and Smokefrost; was once a kittypet named Willow

APPRENTICES:

**Blossomfur** – silver she-cat, dark gray spots, light green eyes

**Ashpaw** – small, gray and silver tom, amber eyes; (Ashwhisker)

**Sunpaw** – white and ginger she-cat, light blue eyes; (Sunpatch)

**Scorchpaw** – white, ginger, and black tom, blue eyes; (Scorchfur)

QUEENS:

**Hazelsweet** – ginger she-cat, dark ginger stripes, amber eyes; mother of Jollykit and Peachkit by Splinterclaw

**Whiteflower** – white she-cat, dark blue eyes; mother of Streamkit by Boldstripe

**Bubbletail** – white and gray she-cat, amber eyes; has Hedgekit by Whiskerclaw

**Maplerose **– ginger she-cat, black spots, amber eyes; mother of Secretkit by unknown father (Oakpelt of ThunderClan); also secretly had Coldkit by Oakpelt; Coldkit lives with his father in ThunderClan

ELDERS:

**Yellowmouse** – dark ginger she-cat, white tail-tip, yellow eyes

**Poppypatch** – dark brown she-cat, yellow eyes

**Grimriver –** long-furred gray tom, dark amber eyes

KITS:

**Jollykit** – gray she-cat, white chest, white paws, silver eyes; (Jollypelt)

**Peachkit** – ginger and white she-cat, dark amber eyes; (Peachfur)

**Streamkit** – white and dark brown she-cat, blue eyes; (Streameyes)

**Hedgekit** – gray and light gray tabby she-cat, light yellow eyes; (Hedgeblossom)

**Secretkit** – pretty cream she-cat, brown spots, black striped tail-tip, silvery-blue eyes; (Secretflower)

**ShadowClan**

LEADER:

**Crimsonstar** – white she-cat, red ears, red striped tail, dark blue eyes

DEPUTY:

**Burrowgrass** – dark brown tom, amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT:

**Cracklefur** – cream and brown tom, dark green eyes

**Apprentice, Shadowpaw**

WARRIORS:

**Calmwhisker –** gray tom, white paws, white chest, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Silkpaw**

**Harmonyfur –** white she-cat, ginger ears, ginger tail, dark green eyes

**Apprentice, Furypaw**

**Blackshadow** – long-furred black tom, yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Driftpaw**

**Lostwing** – black and gray tom, yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Bowpaw**

**Brindleleaf** – brown and white brindled she-cat, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Endpaw**

**Brambletongue** – black and cream tom, white chest, amber eyes

**Rippletail**– ginger and white she-cat, yellow eyes

**Spidercloud –** white, black, and brown she-cat, yellow eyes

**Duskcloud** – long-furred black and gray tom, amber eyes

**Mellowclaw** – silver and gray she-cat, green eyes; mother of Driftpaw and Bowpaw by Duskcloud

**Honeyshine** – ginger she-cat, white markings, amber eyes; mother of Shadowpaw and Endpaw by Lostwing

**Roguestripe** – black and white she-cat, silver eyes

**Dwarfshadow** – small gray tom, black stripes, white chest, green eyes

**Pineroot** – broad-shouldered silver and cream tom, large amber eyes; was once a kittypet named Pips

APPRENTICES:

**Silkpaw** – gray she-cat, silver eyes; (Silkfur)

**Furypaw** – ginger tom, white paws, white chest, amber eyes; (Furyclaw)

**Driftpaw** – gray and silver tom, yellow eyes; (Driftsoot)

**Bowpaw** – light gray tom, yellow eyes; (Bowfur)

**Shadowpaw** – ginger tabby she-cat, amber eyes; (Shadowheart)

**Endpaw** – white she-cat, ginger striped tail, blue eyes; (Endclaw)

QUEENS:

**Winterthorn –** black she-cat, long front claws, gray eyes; will have Burntkit by Brambletongue; _pregnant_

ELDERS:

**Embertail** – black and dark brown tom, yellow eyes

**Sparrowclaw** – cream and light brown she-cat, amber eyes

**Sleetrain –** dark gray tom, light blue eyes

KITS:

**_Burntkit_** **–** black and brown mottled tom, right half of face is brown, left half of face is black; silver eyes; has not been born yet; (Burntpelt)

DECEASED:

**Stonebreeze** – silver and gray tom, gray/green eyes; died from a mysterious hole in his body, made by an unknown foe

**WindClan**

LEADER:

**Angelstar** – black and white she-cat, yellow eyes

DEPUTY:

**Graytail**** –** gray tom, amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT:

**Dovewing** – white she-cat, cream face, cream tail, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Roseheart**

WARRIORS:

**Stoneriver**** –** silver tom, dark gray stripes, yellow eyes

**Apprentice, Nightpaw**

**Robinclaw –** black and white she-cat, gray eyes

**Apprentice, Whitepaw**

**Sunnystripe –** light ginger and white tom, dark ginger stripes, gray eyes

**Sapphirestream –** white she-cat, light ginger face and legs, soft blue eyes

**Irisfur** – black she-cat, yellow eyes

**Rumbleclaw** – white, light brown, and dark gray tom, light amber eyes

**Orangefoot –** dark ginger tom, black striped tail, dark amber eyes

**Proudstripe** – ginger tom, white chest, white paws, light amber eyes

**Cloudpool –** white she-cat, light amber eyes; mates with Brownclaw

**Windcloud** – gray and white she-cat, yellow eyes

**Rustclaw** – small smoke gray and silver tom, light amber eyes

**Acornleaf** – dark gray tom, black striped tail; white chest, white paws, amber eyes

**Brownclaw** – small brown and dark gray mottled tom, light amber eyes; brother of Stormypelt, Smokefrost, and Willowsky; was once a kittypet named Rufus; is now mates with Cloudpool

**Smokefrost** – eggshell white tom with a gray head, legs, and tail; light blue eyes; brother of Stormypelt, Brownclaw, and Willowsky; was once a kittypet named Smokey

APPRENTICES:

**Roseheart** – smoke gray she-cat, yellow eyes

**Nightpaw** – black and white tom, white striped tail-tip, silver/blue eyes; (Nightstripe)

**Whitepaw** – long-furred gray she-cat, white chest, white paws, light amber eyes; (Whitefur)

QUEENS:

**Flowerpool** – gray and white she-cat, large light amber eyes; mother of Mildkit, Breezekit, and Merrykit by Sunnystripe

ELDERS:

**Streamleaf** – gray and white she-cat, dark amber eyes

**Alderclaw** – gray brown tom, black striped tail, white chest and legs, yellow eyes

KITS:

**Mildkit** – ginger tom, green eyes; (Mildpelt)

**Breezekit** – silver and white she-cat, yellow eyes; (Breezeheart)

**Merrykit** – white and light ginger she-cat, light brown eyes; (Merryclaw)

DECEASED:

**Dustspot** – brown tom, black stripes, green eyes; died in a battle against DarkClan

TRAITORS:

**Archaicfrost** – black tom, yellow eyes; allied himself with DarkClan; attacked Angelstar and caused her to lose a life

**A rare look into the ranks of ...**

**DarkClan**

CHIEF:

**Sly** – large, black tom, dark yellow-orange eyes

COMMANDER:

**Grub** – dark gray and brown mottled tom, light brown eyes

**Student, Crash**

HEALER:

**Tusk** – gray tom, amber eyes

SOLDIERS:

**Sharp** – black long-furred tom, light brown eyes

**Student, Dirt**

**Crack** – black tom, yellow eyes

**Student, Thorn**

**Shove –** black and brown mottled tom, light yellow eyes

**Student, Fang**

**Lard –** black tom, light yellow eyes

**Student, Snap**

**Thistle –** gray she-cat, light brown eyes

**Student, Needle**

**Gravel** – gray tom, black nose, light yellow eyes

**Student, Musk**

**Talon** – black she-cat, light brown eyes

**Cling** – black tom, light yellow eyes

**Snarl** – black tom, light yellow-green eyes

**Crusade** – black tom, dark orange eyes

**Assault –** black and gray long-furred tom, light yellow eyes

**Gore** – dark gray tom, amber eyes

**Tangle** – black she-cat, silver eyes

**Rascal **– black tom, yellow eyes

**Weed **– gray and brown tom, light amber eyes

**Dismal **– black and gray tom, yellow eyes

**Bitter **– gray she-cat, yellow eyes

**Demise **– gray tom, right eye gray, left eye amber

STUDENTS:

**Crash** – slender black tom, silver-yellow eyes

**Dirt** – small black tom, light brown eyes

**Thorn** – black tom, light orange eyes

**Fang** – dark gray and brown mottled tom, yellow eyes

**Snap** – gray long-furred she-cat, dark amber eyes

**Needle** – gray she-cat, amber eyes

**Musk** – gray and dark gray tom, amber eyes

QUEENS:

**Gigantic** – large black she-cat, light gray eyes; has Harsh and Rigid by Sharp

**Fleet** – black she-cat, long-furred tail, silver eyes; has Clawed and Frozen by Crusade; had a third kit, but it was killed because it had silver fur

**Stubborn** – black long-furred she-cat, yellow eyes; has Stink, Sludge, and Swifter by Weed

**Pepper** – sleek black she-cat, light yellow eyes; has Reek and Boom by Rascal

IMPRISONED:

**Whisker** – silver and gray tom, black stripes, amber- brown eyes; rogue tom; brother of Maggotpaw

**Icefur** – blue-gray tom, yellow eyes; tom from ThunderClan

DECEASED:

**Deathmask** – black tom with bright yellow eyes; the creator and first leader of DarkClan; he is dead and trying to help Rowanwind destroy DarkClan

**Decayingflesh** – black tom with yellow eyes; eldest son of Deathmask; he wants to stop Rowanwind from destroying DarkClan

**Odorpelt** – black she-cat with blue eyes; second oldest kit of Deathmask; she wants to help Decayingflesh stop Rowanwind from destroying DarkClan

**Filthydebris** – black tom with green eyes; youngest kit of Deathmask; wants to help Decayingflesh stop Rowanwind from destroying DarkClan

**Glare **– gray long-furred tom, dark amber eyes; mate of Hatred; slipped and fell to his death from the wall of the ThunderClan's camp where Clawstar's den and the Highledge are located

**Hatred** – black she-cat, orange eyes; mate of Glare; sister of Sly; was killed by Sly himself when she refused to listen to an order of retreat during a battle

**DarkClan Kittypets**

**Louie** – scruffy black tom, torn right ear, yellow eyes

**Joe** – dark gray tom, dark amber eyes

**Marco** – dark gray long-furred tom, silver eyes

**Sammy** – sleek, gray tom, light yellow eyes

**Dru** – black tom, blue-silver eyes

**Ransom** – broad-shouldered black tom, yellow eyes

**Ollie** – dark gray she-cat, light blue eyes, red collar

**Barbie** – small, black she-cat, light yellow eyes

**Kittypets Enslaved By DarkClan Kittypets**

**Rudy** – brown and dark gray mottled she-cat, light yellow eyes

**Kittypets Allied With the Forest Clans**

**Stormy/Stormypelt –** silver and gray she-cat, few black stripes, light blue eyes; sister of Brownclaw, Smokefrost, and Willowsky; became a ThunderClan cat; is still considered the leader of the remaining kittypets

**Violet** – white long-furred she-cat, black face, black ears, black tail, and gray front legs, sapphire blue eyes; sister of Tulip; stationed in RiverClan

**Tulip** – white long-furred she-cat, gray face, black ears, black tail, black legs, silver-blue eyes; sister of Violet; stationed in RiverClan

**Francis** – brown tom, silver-white belly and muzzle, amber-green eyes; father of Stormy, Rufus, Smokey, and Willow; stationed in ThunderClan

**Lola** – silver and dark gray striped she-cat, light green eyes, yellow-brown collar; mother of Stormy, Rufus, Smokey, and Willow; sister of Murry; stationed in ThunderClan

**Murry** – gray and dark gray striped tom, black striped tail, white stomach and paws, light yellow eyes, red collar; brother of Lola; stationed in WindClan

**Andy** – tall, slender siamese tom, dark blue eyes; stationed in ShadowClan

**Oliver** – brown and black long-furred mottled tom, gold eyes; stationed in ShadowClan

**Kittypets Who Joined the Ranks of the Forest Clans**

**Rufus/Brownclaw** – small brown and dark gray mottled tom, light amber eyes; brother of Stormy, Smokey, and Willow; became a WindClan cat and is no longer part of the kittypets

**Smokey/Smokefrost** – eggshell white tom with a gray head, legs, and tail; light blue eyes; brother of Stormy, Rufus, and Willow; became a WindClan cat

**Willow/Willowsky** – gray and silver she-cat, sky blue eyes; sister of Stormy, Rufus, and Smokey; became a RiverClan cat

**Pips/Pineroot** – broad-shouldered silver and cream tom, large amber eyes; became a ShadowClan cat

**Barn Cats Who Live at Horseplace**

**Palanteen** – silver and brown tom with black patches, amber eyes; (Pal)

**Suzanna** – white and black she-cat, pretty silver-blue eyes; (Suza)

**Screecher** – black, ginger, and white tom, green eyes; (Screech)

**Crystalline** – silver and gray she-cat, black striped legs, face, and tail; crystal blue eyes; (Crysta)

**Bobtail** – black, ginger, and white manx tom, dark orange-amber eyes; (Bob)


	2. Prologue

**Author's Notes:** I am happy to present the first chapter of the newest installment of my Warriors fanfiction series, _Tricks of Magick_! I really hope this one is as enjoyable as the first two. Please read and review! I may or may not continue this in the near future, but I will try my best to get some chapters written and uploaded!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters used for this story. Please don't steal any of my characters.

**Prologue**

His orange eyes glinted maliciously in the darkness. The tom seated before him lowered his head to place the mewling, cream colored kit before Sly. Both toms looked down at the squealing scarp with disgust.

"Was it difficult?" Sly whispered, a thrill going through him at the prospect of a good story.

"The light demons never stood a chance," the tom laughed cruelly. "They were all asleep in their nests until the last moment. That's when we chose to become fliers and fly away with our prize. You would have been delighted to hear the yowling of the queen when she realized her precious kit was gone!"

Sly chuckled with pleasure. "You have done well, Crusade. Please report on your comrades. How did they fare during the mission?"

Crusade's dark orange eyes turned to slits. "Most of them did well. Gore fought off a tom with ease before we flew off."

Sly's tail-tip twitched impatiently. "What do you mean _most_ did well?"

Crusade's lip pulled up. "Switch refused to come. He said he had _hunting_ to do."

Sly snarled in anger. "How dare that impudent, fox dung of a tom defy me! Hunting is left to the slaves so the we may use our strength in battle against the light demons! How dare he!"

"He doesn't seem to think so," Crusade whispered.

"Bring him before me!" Sly stood and curled a paw under the mewling kit. He dragged the helpless kit toward him. "He will show us tonight that he is loyal to our cause, or he will die for his conversion to the light!"

Crusade gave a hearty yowl and raced off to get Switch. He found the tom beside the tree the two light demon prisoners had once been tied to. A vole sat between his paws.

"Does Sly know the prisoners are gone?" Switch wondered when he saw Crusade.

"That's not what you have to worry about!" Crusade sneered. "Sly wants to see you! Right now!"

Switch's ears twitched. His mismatched eyes, one blue and one green, turned to slits. "I guess I knew this day was coming."

"Come along, before I have to drag you by the scruff like a kit!" Crusade hissed.

"I can walk on my own four paws," Switch replied before following Crusade to the entrance of Sly's den.

A crowd of toms and she-cats had gathered around Sly. All of them were glaring with anger or suspicion at Switch as he padded forward behind Crusade. Crusade turned and sat with the crowd as Switch sat before Sly. None of the cats missed the worried glance Switch gave the kit at Sly's paws. A few cats hissed with agitation.

"I've heard some interesting news today. Crusade tells me you refused to go on a mission because you had to _hunt_! You know our slaves are our hunters! We must keep up our strength so that we may fight the light demons and win!" Sly's orange eyes were wide with anger.

"I understand your logic. But I wanted to hunt," Switch replied.

"So you don't deny that you refused a direct order so that you could do something that is against the code?" Sly yowled. "It is time for you to establish where your loyalty truly lies, Switch!"

Switch's eyes widened in shock. The fur along his spine stood up.

Sly hooked a paw beneath the kit again and rolled it toward Switch. The kit squealed with unhappiness.

"Kill this light demon scrap and give us the assurance that you are loyal to our cause!" Sly glared at Switch with burning orange eyes. "Or are you a traitor, Switch?"

Switch looked down at the kit with shock. He beagn to pant with stress. All of the eyes of the cats around him felt as if they were digging holes in his fur.

"Well?" Sly sneered.

Switch stopped panting and took a deep breath. He lifted his head slowly to meet Sly's eyes. "I won't do it. This is ludicrous! The kit has done nothing against us! So what if her pelt is lighter than darkness?"

"Traitor!" Sly screamed, spit spraying from his lips. "You are exhiled! If you ever set paw in our camp again, we will kill you without question! Traitor! Get him!"

Switch snatched at the kit's scruff. He turned and ran as fast as he could away from the crowd. Three toms and a she-cat raced after him, caterwauling loudly. The tiny kit mewled in fright as she bounced in Switch's jaws. Switch ran faster, going as fast as his paws could take him.

Soon, the DarkClan cats stopped giving chase. Switch continued to run, dodging bushes, jumping over logs, and leaping over puddles. The kit bounced in his jaws as he ran, but the little scrap had stopped mewling. Afraid the kit had died, Switch stopped beside a puddle and put the kit down. He pressed his ear close to the kit and heard her faint breathing. Switch began to lick the kit to try and warm her up. He sniffed her between every few licks to try and determine where she had come from.

"You're from those water cats," Switch whispered. "Your mother must think you've been killed."

Switch stood up and stretched. He looked around, trying to determine where he was. After one last check of the kit's breathing, he gently picked her up again. Without much thought, he headed toward the river cats' home. He'd been on the territory twice before.

He let his tail drag in the dust and put his ears flat against his head in a submissive gesture. It wasn't long before a patrol found him.

"Intruder!" a gray tom with black stripes yowled.

"Switch!" a familiar voice gasped.

"He has Secretkit!" a brown tom snarled. "Ashpaw, go get Blizzardclaw!"

A small, gray tom took off.

"Switch! What happened?" the familiar voice asked. "You look like you've been attacked!"

"You know this DarkClan cat?" the gray tom with the black stripes sneered.

"Yes. Instead of making slaves hunt for us, he hunted for Gingerpaw and me all by himself. He gave us extra food and water," the familiar voice said. "Switch, what happened?"

Switch looked up to see a dark brown tom with silver eyes looking at him. "Hello there, Lionpaw."

The tom shook his head. "I'm Lionstorm now. What happened to you, Switch?"

"Sly exhiled me. He wanted me to kill the kit, but I refused. I grabbed her and ran here," Switch panted.

"I'm here! Where's the kit?" A black tom with a speckled white muzzle came up. He took the kit from Switch and began to look it over.

Lionstorm turned to the brown tom who had ordered the apprentice away. "What are we going to do with Switch?"

"We are going to thank him and send him on his way," a new voice said.

Switch looked up to see a she-cat with long, gray fur. A blue-gray tom sat beside her. He recognized the gray she-cat as the leader of the water cats.

"But..." Lionstorm stuttered.

"I heard what you said about him helping you and Gingerpaw, but I cannot allow him to stay with us. It is better to be cautious than foolhardy," the gray she-cat said.

Switch stood and bowed his head to their leader. "I understand your reasoning. I won't be a burden. I just wanted to make sure she got home safely."

"She is fine," the old, black tom meowed. "Hungry and tired, but okay."

The leader nodded to Switch. "RiverClan thanks you for the safe return of Secretkit."

Switch nodded again.

"Let's get back to camp. Maplerose will want to see her kit," the leader said.

The RiverClan cats all headed off, except Lionstorm.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me and Gingerpaw," Lionstorm said.

"You're welcome. I couldn't bare to see you two suffer," Switch said. "I had better go now."

"Wait. I think you should head to ThunderClan. Gingerpaw is there. She may convince Clawstar to let you stay with them," Lionstorm said.

"Thank you for the suggestion. Good-bye," Switch said.

He stood and disappeared into the shadows.

Lionstorm blinked. He turned, looked over his shoulder for a second, and then turned again and walked away.

**End of Prologue**


	3. Chapter One

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to those who have reviewed already! Keep the reviews coming! I love to hear from you all. Just to let everybody know, I'm running out of ideas...so I may ask for some ideas when I get to a spot where I can't think of what to do next. You can all review and give me some ideas. If I pick your idea, then I will mention your name in one of my author's notes. Thanks for reading, I hope you're all enjoying it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't intentionally steal any of them!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Rowanwind sat and watched Purepaw and Palepaw practicing their battle_ moves. His apprentice had come really far in the two months that Rowanwind had been his mentor. He heard pawsteps and turned to see Stormypelt walking toward him. Immediately, Rowanwind felt the strange feeling inside of him that came whenever he saw Stormypelt nearby.

"Their fighting has improved, hasn't it?" Stormypelt mewed, sitting down between Rowanwind and Thunderstripe, Rowanwind's best friend. "I should know, considering I practiced with them for some time."

Stormypelt had been one of the kittypets from Twolegplace that Rowanwind had asked to help ThunderClan, Riverclan, WindClan, and ShadowClan against the evil DarkClan cats who were trying to take their homes. Stormypelt had once been called Stormy, until she had asked to become part of ThunderClan. She had then been given the warrior name Stormypelt by ThunderClan's leader, Clawstar. Now, Stormypelt could often be seen on hunting patrols or going off with Lola and Francis, her kittypet parents who were stationed in ThunderClan, to get reports from the other kittypets who were stationed in the other Clans.

"Yes. I'm really impressed with how far Purepaw has come," Rowanwind agreed.

"He has a great mentor," Stormypelt purred.

The feeling in Rowanwind's inside increased. He twisted around to lick at his ginger fur to try and mask the strange emotion he was feeling.

Thunderstripe glanced at Rowanwind and then Stormypelt. A twinkle entered the black and pepper striped tom's yellow eyes. "I think we can call off their practice. They deserve a day off."

"Good idea," Rowanwind agreed.

"I'd better go," Stormypelt said. Rowanwind turned to see her looking off toward where Lola, a gray she-cat, and Francis, a brown tom, were seated. "We're off to get a report from Pineroot, Andy, and Oliver."

Pineroot was another cat who had once been a kittypet; he had decided to join ShadowClan. He had been stationed there for barely a quarter of a moon before Stormypelt had come back saying that he had been given the warrior name of Pineroot. Andy and Oliver were two other kittypet toms, but they had not decided to join in any Clans.

"See you later," Stormypelt meowed.

"See you. Say hello to the others for me," Rowanwind said.

"I will!" Stormypelt scampered over to her parents, and the three disappeared into the surrounding forest.

"Hey! You can stop now!" Thunderstripe called to their apprentices. "Rowanwind and I have decided you two have been doing so well lately that you can have the day off."

"Really?" Purepaw's light green eyes widened. He leapt away from Palepaw, his black and white sister, and shook the dirt and leaves from his own white and black pelt. "Let's go play in the lake!"

"Be careful!" Rowanwind called after Purepaw and Palepaw as they ran off in the direction of the lake.

Thunderstripe shook his head at Rowanwind. "Let them play. Remember when we were like that?"

Rowanwind glanced at Thunderstripe but held his tongue. It hadn't been too long ago that the two of them had fought over the fact that Rowanwind had grown up too fast. It wasn't his fault that he was part of a very important prophecy, or that he had been chosen as ThunderClan's deputy after Ashfang, the former deputy and Rowanwind's former mentor, had died during a battle against DarkClan.

"So, are you going to ask her soon?" Thunderstripe asked nonchalantly.

"Ask who what?" Rowanwind blinked in confusion.

"Stormypelt, of course!" Thunderstripe stared at his friend with surprise in his twinkling, yellow eyes. "Or haven't you noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Rowanwind had no idea where this conversation was leading.

Thunderstripe batted a paw at Rowanwind's ear. "It's almost entirely obvious that she likes you! And you can't say that you don't like her back. I've seen the way the two of you look at each other when you're together. That and I can practically see your insides getting all squirmy when you look at her, even from a distance!"

"My insides do not get all squirmy!" Rowanwind retorted.

Thunderstripe laughed. "I told you that you can't deny it!"

"Well, what about Gingerheart? I've seen the way you've been looking at her lately!" Rowanwind jabbed a paw into Thunderstripe's side. "And she looks at you the same way when you aren't looking at her."

"Really?" Thunderstripe's ears perked up.

Rowanwind laughed. "Now who looks so interested in a she-cat?"

Thunderstripe swatted Rowanwind's nose with his tail-tip. "You're a sneaky one, Rowanwind! Come on. Let's go see if we can find Gingerheart and go hunting! We haven't hunted together in ages!"

"Maybe tomorrow, Thunderstripe," Rowanwind said. "Remember, Clawstar is going out on patrol with Dapplefoot, Blackcloud, Silverpaw, and Cottonpaw."

"Silverpaw and Cottonpaw are going?" Thunderstripe's eyes lit up again. "I bet they're going to try their hardest during the patrol to show Clawstar they're ready to be warriors!"

"I know what you mean. I don't know what Clawstar is waiting for," Rowanwind said. "I better get back to camp."

Thunderstripe sighed. "Okay. But do you promise to go hunting with Gingerheart and me tomorrow?"

"I promise, Thunderstripe," Rowanwind replied with a laugh. "See you later. Maybe you should go find Gingerheart and tell her how you feel!"

"Ha!" Thunderstripe called after him. "Only if you go and tell Stormypelt how _you_ feel about her!"

Rowanwind chuckled and padded back to camp to find Clawstar.

* * *

Rowanwind wasn't even all the way through the tunnel entrance of ThunderClan's camp, and he knew something was wrong. The camp sounded strangely quiet. He stalked out of the tunnel into the camp and found Clawstar seated on the Highledge. Below him, the cats of ThunderClan were further back than usual. Rowanwind padded forward and around the cats to see what was going on.

Seated at the bottom of the Highledge was a black tom. Rowanwind's fur bristled when he realized the hunched figure was a DarkClan tom. Darkeye, Cloverpelt, and Crookedfern were seated close behind the DarkClan tom. All three were eyeing the tom with suspicion. Clawstar looked down at the four of them with slitted green eyes.

"Rowanwind, good. I was hoping you would show up soon," Clawstar said. "This DarkClan tom says he has been exhiled from DarkClan by Sly himself."

The black tom looked up at Rowanwind. A jolt of shock went through Rowanwind's body when he saw the tom's eyes. His left eye was green, and his right eye was blue. Words, long forgotten, until now, replayed in Rowanwind's head.

"_One green, one blue, he will come to you, shift from foe to ally_," Ashfang's voice said in his mind.

Had Ashfang been telling him about this tom? Rowanwind scrambled up the cliff to sit beside Clawstar.

"We need to speak privately," Rowanwind whispered.

Clawstar nodded. He looked down at the ThunderClan cats. "Keep a watch on the tom. Rowanwind and I will discuss what to do with him."

Together, the ThunderClan leader and deputy headed up to Clawstar's den. Once inside, Clawstar turned curious eyes on Rowanwind.

"I saw your reaction when that DarkClan tom looked at you. What is the matter, Rowanwind?" Clawstar wondered.

Rowanwind shook his head. "Nothing is the matter. I just remembered something Ashfang told me before...before I saw her head up to StarClan."

"You saw Ashfang going to StarClan?" Clawstar hung his head.

"Yes. She told me, '_One green, one blue, he will come to you, shift from foe to ally_.' I forgot about what she'd told me, until now. That DarkClan tom has one blue green and one blue eye," Rowanwind said.

Clawstar looked up. "And what do you think she meant by those words?"

Rowanwind bent his head respectfully. "I think she wants us to accept the tom into ThunderClan. I can't see any other interpretation of '_from foe to ally_.' Can you?"

Clawstar shook his head. "No. I will tell the Clan that you had a sign..."

"Why don't I tell them?" Rowanwind suggested.

Clawstar paused before nodding. "Yes. You can tell them that Ashfang sent you this message from StarClan. They will accept it more if it is coming from you directly. I will not give Switch a warrior name, yet. I will give him an apprentice name. Who do you think should be his mentor?"

"I think Crookedfern would be the best choice," Rowanwind suggested.

"I was thinking of choosing him as well," Clawstar agreed. "I will discuss it with him and then have Switch's ceremony tonight."

Rowanwind nodded in agreement.

"Then let us go and tell them," Clawstar said.

The two of them left his den and scrambled down to the Highledge once more. Rowanwind could feel the tension in the bodies of the cats below him. Would they accept his and Clawstar's choice if they knew it was StarClan's choice as well?

"Cats of ThunderClan! Rowanwind has something he needs to tell you," Clawstar said.

Rowanwind took a steadying breath before speaking. "I received a short prophecy from Ashfang moons ago, after she died. I had forgotten about it, until now, when Switch looked at me. Ashfang told me, '_One green, one blue, he will come to you, shift from foe to ally_.' I'm sure some of you have noticed that Switch has one green eye, and one blue eye. I believe that Ashfang was telling me that we should accept Switch into ThunderClan!"

"What gives you the right to intrepret prophecies?" Cottonpaw shouted. "Isn't that a medicine cat's job?"

"You all know that he is the cat in the prophecy StarClan gave Frostflower! I believe that gives him the right to interpret prophecies he is given by StarClan!" Clawstar meowed loudly. "I have taken Rowanwind's words to heart. I am allowing Switch to join ThunderClan! We will hold his apprentice ceremony later tonight."

There were a few outraged yowls, but Clawstar flicked his tail to indicate them to stop. A few whispers went through the crowd instead.

"But, if we find out that Switch is here as a spy, he will be chased off our territory and never allowed back!" Clawstar said.

Switch stood and looked up at Clawstar and Rowanwind. "Thank you. I will try my best to learn your ways. I will follow them to the best of my ability. I am finished with DarkClan. Forever."

"We shall see," Clawstar meowed. "Now, I am going off on a patrol with Dapplefoot, Blackcloud, and their apprentices. Rowanwind is in charge of the camp until my return."

Clawstar and Rowanwind jumped down from the Highledge. Rowanwind watched Clawstar go off to meet up with Dapplefoot, Blackcloud, Silverpaw, and Cottonpaw. The four of them spoke together for a moment before padding over to the tunnel and out of the camp.

"Rowanwind!"

He turned to see Quickpelt trotting over to him. A prickle of pain went through him at the thought of Sprucebark, his father and Quickpelt's old mate. Rowanwind had returned to camp with Oakpelt and Oakpelt's halfClan son, Coldkit, some time ago to find that Sprucebark had died. Rowanwind was partially glad his father had finally passed on; Sprucebark's joints had been giving him so much pain that the old tom had barely been able to get up out of his nest of moss and bracken.

"Hello, Quickpelt. How are you doing?" Rowanwind asked.

"I have some happy news, Rowanwind!" Quickpelt purred. "I went to see Frostflower this morning. She says I'm going to have kits!"

Rowanwind's ears perked up. "Sprucebark's?"

Quickpelt nodded, her light blue eyes shining. "I wish he could be here to hear this happy news."

Rowanwind touched Quickpelt's ear with his nose. "He's looking down on you from StarClan. I'm sure he's quite happy."

"Frostflower says that I don't have to go into the nursery until I start to feel them," Quickpelt says. "But she says that I must stick close to the camp, in case of a DarkClan attack."

"I think that's the best idea," Rowanwind agreed. "Congratulations, Quickpelt."

She purred. "Just think, Rowanwind! You'll finally have some siblings. I just know they're going to adore their elder brother."

Rowanwind purred back. "I'm sure they're going to be great."

Quickpelt stretched and gave a mighty yawn. "I think I'll go tell Snowcloud and Softcreek the great news."

"Say hello to them for me," Rowanwind told her.

"I will!" Quickpelt waved her tail in good-bye and trotted away toward the nursery, where she would find Snowcloud and Softcreek and their kits.

Rowanwind padded over to the fresh-kill pile and chose a juicy mouse. He had only just started eating when he saw Gingerheart and Thunderstripe padding into camp. His two friends spotted him and came over.

"We just ran into Clawstar's patrol," Thunderstripe said.

"Where is he?" Gingerheart asked, looking around.

"Who?" Rowanwind asked.

"Switch!" Gingerheart replied. "He's the tom who gave Lionpaw and me extra food and water while we were DarkClan's prisoners!"

Rowanwind looked up from his mouse with surprise. "Really? I had no idea."

"So, where is he?" Gingerheart asked.

"I don't know. He should be in the camp somewhere," Rowanwind replied.

Gingerheart padded away to go look for the newest member of ThunderClan.

Thunderstripe sat down beside Rowanwind. "ThunderClan is getting awfully big, isn't it?"

Rowanwind nodded. "I think we're going to have to make some of our dens larger soon to accommodate everyone."

Thunderstripe began to groom his tail. "Yeah. I think the warriors' den is a little crowded since Stormypelt and Gingerheart became warriors. We'll definitely have to enlarge the den when Cottonpaw and Silverpaw become warriors, which is soon, I bet."

"I hope Clawstar decides to give them their warrior names in the next few days," Rowanwind said. "We need all the warriors we can get since our border and hunting patrols have increased. Oh, I have some good news. Quickpelt is pregnant."

"Seriously?" Thunderstripe looked up from cleaning his tail. "Wow, Rowanwind! You're going to have a younger brother or sister!"

"Or both, maybe," Rowanwind said.

"It's too bad about Sprucebark, though. They'll never know their father," Thunderstripe said sadly.

"They'll have me," Rowanwind said.

Thunderstripe laughed. "Yes, having a big brother is always better than having a father."

"I think it's better this way," Rowanwind said, taking another bite of his mouse. "Sprucebark's pain was getting to be too much to bare. It's better that they think of him as a grand warrior than an elder who was always in pain."

Thunderstripe stretched, unsheathing and sheathing his claws. "That makes sense, Rowanwind. I'll have to remember to congratulate Quickpelt later. I think I'll go take a nap. I'm not due for a patrol until tomorrow."

"Okay. Have a good nap," Rowanwind said.

He watched Thunderstripe pad over to the warriors' den. On his way there, he came across Gingerheart and Switch. The three of them talked for a few moments; Rowanwind guessed that Gingerheart was introducing Switch to Thunderstripe. Then Thunderstripe disappeared into the den, and Gingerheart and Switch came over to Rowanwind.

"Hello," Rowanwind said.

Gingerheart sat down next to Rowanwind and gestured for Switch to sit as well. The black tom cautiously sat down on Gingerheart's other side.

"Switch told me what you said about what Ashfang told you," Gingerheart said. "I know that Switch will be loyal to ThunderClan. He never seemed to agree with the things he was forced to do by the other DarkClan cats. Tell Rowanwind what you told me!"

Switch fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. "Sly had a patrol kidnap a water cat kit. I was asked to go, but I thought I should go hunting instead to feed Gingerpaw and Lionpaw. I hadn't been to see them in a while. When I got to the tree they used to be tied up to, I realized that they were gone. I'd hoped that they'd escaped. Then Crusade came and told me that Sly wanted to see me. I knew Sly was wondering about my loyalty. He asked me to kill the water cat kit in front of them all. I refused. I grabbed the she-kit and ran. I returned her to her home, and then Lionstorm suggested I come here because Gingerheart is here."

"Lionstorm?" Rowanwind sat up.

"Yes!" Gingerheart purred. "Lionpaw has been made into a warrior! Remember, Switch, we don't call them water cats. They're RiverClan."

Switch nodded.

"I'm going to help Switch learn all he can about our ways," Gingerheart said.

"Gingerheart, Clawstar is planning on giving Switch an apprentice name and a mentor," Rowanwind said.

"So? Does that mean I can't help him?" Gingerheart flicked the tip of her tail.

"I guess not," Rowanwind said. "But you have to remember that his mentor will be teaching him things as well."

Gingerheart nodded. "I understand, Rowanwind."

"What is an apprentice's name? And what is a mentor?" Switch asked.

"All apprentices have names that end in paw," Gingerheart explained. "Their mentors are the warriors who teach them how to hunt, fight, and all the ways to follow the warrior code."

"Warriors? You mean, like soldiers?" Switch blinked his mismatched eyes.

"Soldiers? Is that what they call them in DarkClan?" Rowanwind asked.

Switch nodded. "There's the chief, the commander, the healer, the soldiers, the students, the queens, and the kits."

"That sounds similar to our Clan. We have a leader, a deputy, a medicine cat, the warriors, the apprentices, the queens, the kits, and the elders. Don't you have elders in DarkClan?" Gingerheart wondered.

"What's an elder?" Switch asked in response.

"They are the cats who are too old to hunt or fight any longer," Rowanwind explained. "They stay in camp, and the apprentices take them food and clean their pelts of fleas and ticks."

Switch looked at them with surprise. "No, there aren't elders in DarkClan. If a cat can no longer fight or hunt, Sly has them exiled or killed."

Gingerheart gasped. "Don't they respect the old cats?"

Switch shook his head. "I guess not."

Rowanwind shook his head. "I can see why you wanted to leave DarkClan."

Webpaw, Nimblepaw, and Sootpaw came scurrying out of the elders' den suddenly. All three of them were giggling and laughing. Rowanwind wondered what the three of them found so funny. He assumed one of the elders' had told a funny story.

The tunnel entrance suddenly moved. Rowanwind turned his head to see Silverpaw stumbling into camp. Even from this distance, Rowanwind could see the patches of blood covering Silverpaw. One of the tom's ears was tattered.

"Silverpaw!" Rowanwind shouted.

**End of Chapter One**

**Author's Notes:** I have to say thanks to Skybreeze for pointing out a few of my grammar mistakes in this chapter. I was rushing myself to get the few chapters I had uploaded because I had some other obligations to attend to. Thanks for pointing out the mistakes, Skybreeze.


	4. Chapter Two

**Author's Notes:** In this chapter, there is a section of writing in _italics_. Anything that is in _italic_ is one of Rowanwind's memories. When you see three dots (like this: ...) it means that the memory has ended and is going on to the next memory.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters that I made up for this story. Please don't steal any of them.

**Chapter 2**

Rowanwind lurched to his paws and ran to the apprentice's side. Silverpaw fell to his side as Rowanwind approached. "Somebody get Frostflower!" Rowanwind screeched. He nudged Silverpaw's head to get the tom to look at him. "Silverpaw, where are the others? Where are Clawstar and the others?"

Silverpaw coughed and closed his eyes. "Attack...by the lake..."

Rowanwind spun around just as Frostflower and Maggotpaw came running over. "Oakpelt! Granitetail! Reedclaw! Meadowlark! Thornfur! Cedarspirit! Come with me!"

Without glancing back to see if all of the cats whose name he called were following, Rowanwind sped out of camp and through the tunnel. He let his paws guide him toward the lake, hoping it wouldn't take long to find Clawstar, Dapplefoot, Blackcloud, and Cottonpaw. His heart thundered in his chest, matching his heavy pawsteps on the forest floor. He leaped over a fallen log and sped onward. His breath came in gasps.

Yowling reached his ears. Rowanwind changed direction in a matter of seconds, heading straight for the noise. He came flying out of a bush and skidded to a stop in a clearing of the forest. Dapplefoot and Cottonpaw were lying, motionless, on the ground in puddles of blood. Blackcloud was fiercely attacking three toms and a she-cat, but it was clear he was getting tired. Clawstar's body was nowhere to be found.

"Rowanwind! That way!" Blackcloud pointed with his tail. "They have Clawstar!"

Without another thought, Rowanwind sped the way Blackcloud had pointed. He heard heavy panting ahead of him. His paws sped faster. Within seconds, he came across two toms. They were dragging Clawstar's bloody, lifeless body between them. With a ferocious battle cry, Rowanwind leaped and landed on tom of one of the toms. The two of them rolled away. Rowanwind slashed at the tom's face, yowling and screaming. Giving up, the tom sped away. Spinning, Rowanwind turned to the other tom. He recognized Gore, but the tom looked frightened this time.

"Fight me! Or are you a coward?" Rowanwind spat.

Gore glared at him and slashed at Rowanwind's face. Rowanwind ducked and kicked Gore's feet out from under him. He landed heavily on top of Gore and heard the breath rush out of Gore's lips. Rowanwind pressed a paw to Gore's throat.

"You don't deserve to live!" Rowanwind screamed loudly. Gore struggled beneath him. Rowanwind jumped off and dug his claws into Gore's flank as the tom flipped over. With a yowl, Gore sped off into the distance. Rowanwind screamed after him. When the tom was no longer visible, Rowanwind went to Clawstar's side.

Rowanwind pressed his ear close to Clawstar's nose and found out the leader was breathing. He heard pawsteps crashing through the forest and looked up to see Granitetail and Meadowlark coming toward him. They looked at Clawstar with shock. Granitetail went and sat beside Clawstar's head.

"He's still breathing," Rowanwind panted.

"Rowanwind," Meadowlark said, walking closer. "Cottonpaw is asking for you. You should hurry; I don't think he has much time left."

Rowanwind nodded to her and sped back to the clearing. Oakpelt was lying beside Cottonpaw's body, his nose pressed to Cottonpaw's shoulder. Reedclaw, Thornfur, and Cedarspirit weren't in the clearing, but neither were the DarkClan cats. Rowanwind assumed they'd gone chasing after the DarkClan cats. He spotted Blackcloud lying beside Dapplefoot's motionless body.

"Rowanwind," Cottonpaw croaked when he saw him.

Oakpelt looked up. He gave Rowanwind a nod and walked away to give the cousins some privacy. Rowanwind almost wished his half brother had stayed.

"I'm...sorry," Cottonpaw said.

"Sorry for what, Cottonpaw?" Rowanwind whispered.

"For...being so...angry with you," Cottonpaw whispered, his voice cracking. "I should have...should have...been happy."

"It's okay, Cottonpaw. I forgive you," Rowanwind said.

"How's...Clawstar?" Cottonpaw wondered.

"He's still alive," Rowanwind whispered. "Thanks to your help, I'm sure."

"Dapplefoot? Blackcloud?"

Rowanwind glanced at the two elder cats. "Blackcloud is still here. Dapplefoot...I don't know."

Cottonpaw coughed. Some blood leaked out of the side of his mouth. "I wish...I wish I was...dying with a...a warrior name. Is that...too much...to ask for?"

"No, Cottonpaw," Rowanwind said. "I, Rowanwind, deputy of ThunderClan, in place of an injured Clawstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on Cottonpaw. He has trained hard to understand the way of your noble code, and I commend him to you as as warrior in his turn.

"Cottonpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Cottonpaw coughed.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From now and forever more, you will be known as Cottonbrave, in acknowledgment of your bravery in helping keep your leader from losing all of his lives. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Cottonbrave opened his yellow eyes, which were fully of happiness. "Thank you...Rowanwind. Thank you...cousin."

"Rest and be at peace now, Cottonbrave," Rowanwind whispered, his voice choking with the difficulty of watching Cottonbrave pass on to StarClan. He looked up at the blue sky between the branches of the trees. "StarClan, please take Cottonbrave into your ranks, where he will no longer be in pain." Rowanwind looked down at his cousin once more. "Good-bye, Cottonbrave."

He watched as Cottonbrave's soul left his body. His last breath escaped through bloody lips. Cottonbrave's happy yellow eyes glowed as he walked upward toward the blue sky, his pelt twinkling like a clear night sky full of stars. Rowanwind could hear many generations of voices shouting, "Cottonbrave! Cottonbrave!" as his cousin's soul disappeared into the heavens above...

"_Hello!" Rowankit skidded to a stop beside Cottonkit. The silver and gray, long-furred kit looked cleaner and sleeker than usual. "You look like a kittypet!"_

"_Oh, yeah?" Cottonkit hissed and went into a pouncing stance._

"_Cottonkit! Don't mess up your fur!" Twigleaf ordered._

_Cottonkit sighed and sat up. "I don't understand why we have to look so clean! We're warriors, not kittypets!"_

"_You're not apprentices yet!" Twigleaf said. "You're still kits, so you'll listen to your mother."_

_Cottonkit sighed again._

_..._

_"Can we go out right now?" Cottonpaw couldn't keep the hopefulness from his voice._

"_I don't see why not," Blackcloud replied. "We won't go far, but you can explore some of our territory."_

"_Can we go, too?" Silverpaw turned his blue eyes on Dapplefoot._ _The brown she-cat laughed. _

_"Of course! Let's go now, before Clawfang puts us on a patrol instead!"_ _The four cats headed toward the entrance. _

_Rowankit felt his heart sink when Cottonpaw and Silverpaw forgot to say good-bye._

"_That wasn't very nice of them, was it?" Darkkit sat down with a soft flump. "They didn't even bother to say good-bye to us, did they?" The tip of his tail twitched agitatedly. _

_Rowankit shook his head. "It's like they forgot about us!"_

...

_"Rowanpaw!"_

_Rowanpaw and Ginger turned. Thunderpaw, Darkpaw, Cottonpaw, Silverpaw, and Cloverpaw were trotting over to them. Ginger's ears twitched._

"_You haven't properly introduced us to Ginger yet," Cottonpaw said. He was at the head of the group._

"_I was showing Ginger around camp," Rowanpaw meowed._

"_Well, it looks like you've finished the tour," Cottonpaw commented. He looked at Ginger. "I'm Cottonpaw."_

...

_The weight was suddenly lifted. Rowanpaw coughed and wheezed. When he got enough breath, he stood and turned. Cottonpaw had taken down the tom who had been sitting on him. Cottonpaw jumped onto the tom's back and dug in his claws before leaping away as the tom rolled over. Silverpaw came racing over and slammed into the tom's head. The tom yowled and took off into the forest._

"_Try not to get flattened!" Cottonpaw shouted at Rowanpaw before rushing off to tackle a tom who was pinning Darkpaw to the ground._

_..._

_Cottonpaw sat down and yawned. He looked around camp forlornly. "I hate this."_

_Thunderpaw blinked sleepily. "Hate what?"_

"_I hate all of it. I hate DarkClan. I hate Sly. I hate how weak our Clan has become. We're no match for DarkClan by ourselves, especially now. Whoever goes to the next Gathering is just asking for a death wish," Cottonpaw replied._

_Rowanpaw stretched his front legs out in front of him and arched his back. "That doesn't mean we're going to stay here and hide away in our camp. Clawstar will ask any able bodied volunteers to go."_

"_Nobody will want to volunteer," Cottonpaw grumbled. _

_"They know they won't be coming back."_

"_Would you go?" Rowanpaw demanded to know._

"_Not unless Clawstar ordered me to," Cottonpaw hissed._

"_You're a coward, then!" Rowanpaw spat._

"_Don't call me a coward!" Cottonpaw lashed his long-furred tail._

_..._

"Rowanwind?"

He turned to see Oakpelt looking at him.

"Granitetail and Meadowlark are taking Clawstar back to camp," Oakpelt said. "Reedclaw and Thornfur are taking Dapplefoot's body." He gestured at Cedarspirit, whose amber eyes were full of sadness. "Cedarspirit is helping us with Cottonpaw."

Rowanwind shook his head. "No. He isn't Cottonpaw any longer. I did his warrior ceremony. He is Cottonbrave now."

Oakpelt's yellow eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Rowanwind. That meant a lot to Cottonpaw...I mean, Cottonbrave."

"Your son will be known as a hero," Rowanwind said. "Let's bring him home."

The three of them each grabbed part of Cottonbrave's body and began to slowly drag his lifeless body back to ThunderClan's camp.

* * *

"Today we lost two of ThunderClan's members. Dapplefoot was getting older and would have been an elder had she not sacrificed herself today. We will all miss her. As for Cottonpaw, I gave him a final gift before his spirit passed on to StarClan. I gave him the warrior ceremony he so dearly wanted. Now, as he watches us from above, he is called Cottonbrave.

"Because of the bravery of Dapplefoot, Cottonbrave, Blackcloud, and Silverpaw, our leader did not get kidnapped by DarkClan, nor did he lose all of his lives. I regret to say that, as informed to me by Frostflower, Clawstar is on his last life."

There were gasps throughout the Clan at Rowanwind's words.

"Clawstar will take time to heal from his wounds. As deputy, I will take over any duties that would normally be done by Clawstar. In saying so, I ask Switch to come forward."

The DarkClan tom cautiously walked forward.

"Do you still wish to become part of ThunderClan?" Rowanwind asked.

"I do," Switch replied.

"Then, from this day onward, until you are granted a warrior name, you will be called Duskpaw," Rowanwind said.

The newly named Duskpaw bowed his head.

"Crookedfern, you are highly respected in ThunderClan. As one of our eldest warriors, Clawstar and I think that you will be a good mentor to Duskpaw. He will need to know how to follow our ways, and you are the best choice to teach him our code," Rowanwind said.

Crookedfern came forward. He looked at Duskpaw with kindness. "We have to touch noses, Duskpaw."

Duskpaw glanced around before reaching forward to touch his nose to Crookedfern's.

Together, the new mentor and apprentice walked over to sit beside Oakpelt and Webpaw.

"And now, it is time to accept a new warrior into our ranks," Rowanwind continued. "Silverpaw, please come forward."

The apprentice came forward and sat down at the bottom of the Highledge.

"Today has been an extremely difficult day for you, Silverpaw. You've lost both your brother and your mentor. We all know that they are both looking down at you from StarClan with pride at your accomplishments. It is finally time for you to have your warrior name.

"I, Rowanwind, deputy of ThunderClan, in place of an injured Clawstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on Silverpaw. He has trained hard to understand the way of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.

"Silverpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," quiet Silverpaw said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on, you will be known as Silvermoon. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Silvermoon nodded his head in respect of Rowanwind.

"Silvermoon! Silvermoon!" the ThunderClan cats all called.

Mistmeadow came running forward. She pressed her nose to Silvermoon's cheek and whispered something to him. He twined his tail with Mistmeadow's and whispered something back.

Rowanwind climbed down from the Highledge and headed over to Frostflower's den, where Clawstar was sleeping. Frostflower looked up when Rowanwind entered her den.

"How is he?" Rowanwind asked.

Frostflower sighed. "I've done everything I can for him. I believe he will make it." She shook her head sadly. "But this is his last life, Rowanwind. The next time..."

"I know," Rowanwind said. "He won't return next time."

Frostflower touched her tail-tip to Rowanwind's shoulder. "I wish things weren't so difficult for you. I could never have imagined that this was what Stripedpelt meant when she told me that prophecy."

"It's okay, Frostflower. I don't blame you," Rowanwind said. "It's my destiny."

"It's a cruel destiny for such a young cat," Frostflower replied softly.

The entrance of her den rustled and Maggotpaw walked in. She looked frightened to see Rowanwind sitting with her mentor. Rowanwind wondered what was wrong with Maggotpaw.

"I think I'll go now," Rowanwind said.

Frostflower nodded.

Rowanwind left the medicine cat's den. He saw Thunderstripe, Gingerheart, and Duskpaw lying together near the fresh-kill pile. Nearby, Cottonbrave's and Dapplefoot's bodies lay. There were many cats near the two brave warriors' bodies, mourning their losses. Thunderstripe gestured for Rowanwind to join them.

He padded over and lay beside Thunderstripe. "I can't believe this has happened. DarkClan needs to be destroyed."

"I had no idea this is what they were planning on doing," Duskpaw whispered. "If I had known, I would have said something."

"It's okay, Duskpaw. We don't blame you," Gingerheart said.

"No. We don't blame you. We blame Sly," Rowanwind said. "This is all his fault. I can't wait for the moment I get the chance to kill him. I won't hesitate."

"Rowanwind!" Gingerheart gasped. "That's a cruel thing to say!"

"No," Duskpaw said. "He's right. Sly deserves to die."

"Nobody deserves to die," Gingerheart mewed. "No matter what they've done. It's better to give second chances than none at all."

"Sly would refuse a second chance," Duskpaw mumbled.

Rowanwind shook his head. "I'm not going to sit here and argue about it. I need to rest. See you in the morning."

"Good night," the other three said before Rowanwind stood and headed off to the warriors' den to sleep.

* * *

**End of Chapter Two**

* * *

**More Author's Notes:** First thing's first! The allegiances page has been updated for this chapter, so please check to see what has changed!

I have to beg for forgiveness from any of my readers who cried during this chapter. I cried writing it, so you aren't alone in your tears. I know it was really cruel to kill off Cottonpaw/Cottonbrave, but he died doing something noble! Now you all know why I chose 'brave' as the second part of his warrior name.

Killing Dapplefoot was a spur-of-the-moment idea that I had. I've been planning on killing off Cottonpaw/Cottonbrave since _Descendant of Fire_...and now it's finally happened.

I beg forgiveness from Silvermoon as well, considering I just killed off his brother and his mentor in a single chapter. Oh, well...that is the life of a warrior, is it not?

Thanks again for sticking with me this far! Please review and tell me your thoughts about Cottonpaw/Cottonbrave dying.


	5. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this fanfiction. Please don't intentionally steal any of my characters.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3**

_Rowanwind stared out at the surface of the lake. The lake was so still_ it was reflecting the sparkling stars high above the earth. Rowanwind sighed and stared upward at the night sky. Somewhere up there, he knew, Cottonbrave was watching over them all. Despite all of the fights they'd had, he missed his cousin.

"Hello, Rowanwind."

He turned to see Firestar walking toward him. Firestar was a cat who had, many generations and moons ago, been the leader of ThunderClan. He'd had many adventures during his lifetime, and those adventures were still told by the elders to the apprentices and kits of ThunderClan. Firestar was one of the most legendary cats ThunderClan had ever had. Rowanwind was on of his descendants, as well.

"Hello, Firestar," Rowanwind whispered.

Firestar sat beside him. His green eyes were curious. "I know something is troubling you, Rowanwind."

Rowanwind wrapped his tail around his paws. "Did I do the right thing when I gave Cottonbrave his warrior name just before he died?"

"Is that really all that is troubling you?" Firestar purred. "Rowanwind, you are more special than you realize. You are one of the youngest deputies ThunderClan has ever had. I'm quite certain, in a time where your leader is too injured to commence a ceremony, you can instead. StarClan understands that Clawstar is too injured to even leave Frostflower's den at the moment."

"Did I interpret Ashfang's words correctly?" Rowanwind asked. All of this talk of ceremonies had made him think of Duskpaw's apprentice ceremony.

Firestar touched Rowanwind's shoulder with his tail-tip. "Why don't you ask her that yourself?" The ginger tom stood and began to walk away. Rowanwind watched the familiar scene of Firestar walking across the surface of the lake and then up into the sky. As Firestar reached the darkness above, his pelt began to shine.

"You've grown up so much since I left you."

Rowanwind spun around to see Ashfang walking toward him. She looked just as he remembered her; her silver pelt was slashed with dark gray stripes and her light green eyes, which she'd inherited from her father, Clawstar, were shimmering.

"Ashfang!" Rowanwind ran to her and touched his nose to hers.

"I can't stay long, Rowanwind," Ashfang whispered. A new pain filled her eyes.

Rowanwind sat back and looked at his old mentor. "Firestar said you would tell me if I interpreted your words correctly."

"You did. I knew you would understand the moment Switch looked at you," Ashfang replied. She looked apprehensively upward at the part of the sky that Firestar had disappeared into.

"What is it, Ashfang? I know there's something you want to tell me," Rowanwind said. He glanced upward as well.

"Something is coming, Rowanwind. Something that is not related to DarkClan in any way," Ashfang whispered, her voice full of mystery. "Something evil."

"What is it?" Rowanwind asked, looking at her again.

"Not even StarClan can see it clearly. It is shrouded in shadows," Ashfang said. "I can only warn you that something is coming."

"Will StarClan be able to help us?" Rowanwind wondered.

"It's too early to tell," Ashfang said with a sorrowful shake of her head. "I must go. StarClan needs me."

Rowanwind touched his nose to Ashfang's cheek. "Farewell, then."

He watched his old mentor race away across the lake and up into the sky. What could possibly be going on in StarClan that made Ashfang rush away in such urgency? Roawnwind remembered the few cats of SpiritClan, DarkClan's version of StarClan, he had met, and how Firestar had told him that StarClan and SpiritClan were fighting in the heavens.

Could StarClan possibly be losing their battle?

* * *

"Attack!"

Rowanwind looked up from his morning meal to see Meadowlark rushing into camp. Her yowl made several other cats in the camp jump.

"DarkClan is coming!" Meadowlark yowled.

Rowanwind hurriedly got to his feet and began to call out orders. "Get the queens and kits into the nursery! Quickpelt, go in there with them! Oakpelt and Granitetail, watch the nursery entrance! Cedarspirit and Silvermoon, help the elders get inside and then guard them! Thornfur, Crookedfern, and Reedclaw, guard Frostflower's den! Don't let any DarkClan cats in there! Everyone else, prepare yourselves!"

Rowanwind watched his Clanmates rushing around to follow his orders. It amazed him how completely they respected him. He stationed himself toward the front entrance with Rainfur, Thunderstripe, Wetpelt, Darkeye, Gingerheart, and Stormypelt. The apprentices and Stormypelt's parents were scattered around the rest of the camp.

All of the cats heard the DarkClan battle cries getting closer.

"Those closest behind me, follow me! We need to try and head off as many as we can so they don't all enter the camp!" Rowanwind shouted.

Taking the lead, Rowanwind led Rainfur, Thunderstripe, Wetpelt, Darkeye, Gingerheart, and Stormypelt through the tunnel. They raced into the forest and came upon the DarkClan patrol attacking them.

A quick count and Rowanwind realized that there were at least eighteen DarkClan cats attacking them. He noticed around seven of the cats were smaller and skinnier; they looked like apprentices. Before now, he hadn't seen any of them in any battles that he could remember.

The two groups collided. Rowanwind slammed ino a black tom with dark orange eyes. For a moment, he thought the tom was Sly, but a moment later he realized it wasn't. This tom was much sleaker than Sly.

The two of them rolled across the grassy forest floor, hissing and clawing at each other. He slammed the tom's head on a large rock and the cat became disoriented. Rowanwind leapt away and slammed his paws onto the shoulders of a she-cat who was pinning Wetpelt to the ground. Wetpelt lurched forward and snagged her teeth into the she-cat's leg. Rowanwind listened to the she-cat wail before turning away.

He glanced around, trying to figure out how many of the DarkClan cats had slipped past them. None of the apprentices, or students as DarkClan called them, were around. Three of the larger cats had disappeared as well.

Nearby, Stormypelt was fighting against a tom and a she-cat at the same time. Rowanwind rushed over to help her. He clawed a deep scratch into the flank of the tom, who turned with a hiss to look at Rowanwind. Rowanwind suddenly recognized the cat as the tom who had tried to kill him during a battle on the island where the Clan cats gathered every full moon. This was the tom that had allowed Gore to replace him; Gore had nearly suffocated Rowanwind to death until Gingerheart and Lionstorm had come to his rescue.

"A em e betgoh!" the familiar tom shouted. Rowanwind gasped as the tom began to grow bigger.

Rowanwind understood the strange words as, "I am a badger!"

The tom began to grow even larger. His fur rippled as muscles grew upon muscles. His nose elongated, his ears turned from pointed to rounded, and his long, black fur turned gray with white stripes. His light brown eyes became the beady, black eyes of a full grown, male badger.

_Can I do that too_? Rowanwind wondered to himself.

He felt the familiar tingling in his paws. Words he barely understood hissed from between his lips, "A em e fex!"

Rowanwind felt his body changing. His nose grew outward to a point; the teeth in his mouth grew larger and more jagged. His body grew larger and more slender. His ginger fur turned slightly darker and his paws became black. His tail fur became bushier and the tip turned white.

The DarkClan cats stopped battling and all turned to stare at Rowanwind, who was now a fox instead of a cat.

"How?" the badger rumbled in the tongue of cats.

Rowanwind gave a fox growl. He rushed at a DarkClan tom and snapped his teeth in front of the tom's face. With a yowl, the tom raced away into the distance. The other DarkClan cats raced away after the first tom, leaving the badger by himself.

The badger reared up and shouted after them, "Cowards!" He glanced at all of the cats and the fox around him and decided he was vastly outnumbered. Within moments, the badger was a cat once more and was racing away.

"Let's get back to camp," Rowanwind said in cat, so the others could understand him.

They all looked at him with fright in their eyes, but they followed his orders just the same. Rowanwind led his group back toward camp. All of them could hear the yowls of battle inside. The tunnel entrance was once again trampled, and Rowanwind heard the sound of another badger roaring. He raced into the camp and looked around for the badger.

The DarkClan badger had cornered Duskpaw and Palepaw near one of the camp's walls. There was no way for the two to escape. Rowanwind rushed toward them, and Palepaw screamed, "A fox!" Duskpaw saw Rowanwind heading for them as well, but there was a knowing look in the tom's mismatched eyes.

" A em e chuw!"

Rowanwind skidded to a stop in surprise.

Duskpaw's face began to protrude and harden into a black beak. His fur stretched out into shiny, black feathers that formed into wings. His back legs and tail morphed into a feathery tail while his front paws and legs became the tough, clawed feet of a crow. Duskpaw's mismatched eyes became beady and black. With a caw, he flapped his newly formed winged and flew into the badger's face.

"Palepaw, run!" Rowanwind shouted.

Palepaw screamed and ran toward the nursery.

Rowanwind stalked forward and leapt onto the badger's shoulders. He sunk his jagged teeth into the badger's shoulder and shook his head roughly. The badger roared in pain and swiped his paws over his shoulder to try and dislodge Rowanwind.

Duskpaw swooped down again and clawed viciously at the badger's eyes. Rowanwind saw blood gush from the badger's face. He let go with his teeth and jumped down to the ground. The badger turned to face him, and Rowanwind saw that one of the badger's eyes was closed shut because of a slash that Duskpaw had inflicted.

The badger became a cat again, but the injury to his eye was still there. The black and brown mottled tom ran away from the battle, leaving behind a trail of blood.

Duskpaw landed and began to transform back into a cat. His eyes were shining with triumph. "Thanks for the help, Rowanwind."

"How did you know it was me?" Rowanwind asked.

"What other ginger tom knows the tongue of magick?" Duskpaw asked in reply. "Look, they're retreating."

Rowanwind turned to see the last few DarkClan cats disappear over the trampled tunnel entrance. The camp was suddenly quiet.

Rowanwind felt himself changing back into a cat. He shook himself as the last fox parts disappeared. He glanced around the camp and worried that someone was badly injured. What if someone had died under his command?

Oakpelt and Granitetail trotted over from the nursery. Granitetail had a patch of bloody fur on his shoulder, which made him limp. One of Oakpelt's ears was torn.

"You two need to see Frostflower," Rowanwind said.

"We will," Granitetail replied. "But we needed to report first. The cats who got into camp never breached any of the dens we were guarding. The queens and kits are a bit frightened, though. The elders and injured are fine, as well."

"Thank you for the report," Rowanwind said with a nod. "You both did wonderfully, I'm sure. Are there any cats badly injured?"

"No," Oakpelt said. "All of Rainfur's kits fought like true warriors, and Purepaw seemed to be everywhere during the fight."

"Did you see the fox that came in?" Granitetail asked. "It headed straight for the badger who had Duskpaw and Palepaw trapped."

Rowanwind sat down and curled his tail around his paws. "That fox was me."

Oakpelt and Granitetail glanced at each other.

"What?" Oakpelt asked.

"I used the same thing that the DarkClan cats use to turn into badgers and crows," Rowanwind explained. "But because my pelt is ginger, I became a fox."

"Wow!" Oakpelt's eyes widened. "How do you know how to do it, Rowanwind?"

"I'm not sure. It's some sort of language, I think. It just comes out," Rowanwind replied. "Now, I think you two should go and have Frostflower look at your wounds. I don't want two of our best warriors to get infections."

The toms nodded in agreement and padded away toward the medicine cat's den.

"Rowanwind!"

He turned to see Thunderstripe and Gingerheart racing toward him. They stopped beside him and stared at him.

"What in the world was that?" Gingerheart demanded. "You turned into a _fox_!"

"Seeing that tom turn into a badger gave me the idea," Rowanwind said. "But I've been told that I can only turn into things that are similar to me. The DarkClan cats can turn into badgers, crows, and shadows because their pelts are dark. Foxes are ginger, like me, so I thought I should try and turn into one."

"That's brilliant!" Gingerheart purred. "You must teach us how to do it!"

"It's not as easy as it seems."

Duskpaw came padding over to them.

"Why isn't it as easy as it seems?" Gingerheart wondered.

"Rowanwind has an adept gift," Duskpaw said, sitting down. "All cats can say the words, but the words only react to some cats."

"But tons of the cats in DarkClan have turned into badgers and crows! And all of them have turned into shadows!" Thunderstripe pointed out.

Duskpaw shook his head. "Not all you've seen was done individually by each cat. There are a select few in DarkClan who actually have voices that words react to. During a cat's time as a student, he or she is put through many different tests to determine whether his or her voice is one that words react to."

"And you're one of them," Rowanwind said.

Duskpaw nodded. "My gift is not as strong as yours, but I learned of it at a young age. I was made a student before the average time, so I was much younger than my peers. I was put through many vigorous tests to help Sly determine just how strong my gift was."

"That sounds so cruel," Gingerheart mewed.

"Actually, it helped me greatly," Duskpaw said. "Because of all of those tests, and some of my own practice, I've learned how to do just about anything I wish with words."

"You called it the 'tongue of magick' earlier. Is that what it's called? Magick?" Rowanwind asked.

"Yes," Duskpaw said. "It's called magick. But it shouldn't be taken lightly. I've witnessed three students with voices that the words reacted to so strongly that it actually killed them in the end."

Gingerheart shivered. "Really?"

"Sly pushed them too hard. I was too smart for him, however. I knew he would keep pushing and pushing. I finally told him that my strength could go no more. I told him that if I pushed even just a tiny bit further, I would kill myself and the entire Clan. He believed that and left me alone from then on," Duskpaw said.

"Can we at least try and see if we have the voice for it?" Gingerheart pleaded.

Duskpaw looked at Rowanwind. "I was actually going to ask Rowanwind if he'd like lessons on magick from me. It's his decision if he wants the two of you to join."

"Of course I want them to join," Rowanwind said. He looked at Gingerheart and Thunderstripe sternly. "But you have to promise that, if your voices don't get words to react, that you won't continue trying."

"I promise!" Gingerheart said immediately.

Thunderstripe flicked his tail agitatedly. "Alright, I promise."

"Great," Rowanwind said, turning back to Duskpaw. "When's our first lesson?"

**End of Chapter Three**


	6. Chapter Four

**Author's Notes:** Okay, the ShadowClan section of the allegiances page should have changed due to something that happened in this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't intentionally steal my characters.

**Chapter 4**

_"You have to let the words come to you. If you try too hard to find them,_ they will refuse to even let you utter them," Duskpaw said. "Rowanwind understands what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Rowanwind nodded. "It's almost like the words are controlling what I say."

"In a way, they do," Duskpaw said. "The words use your strength to shape them from words to actions."

"How are we supposed to let the words control us?" Gingerheart wondered, her light brown eyes wide.

"You must think about what it is you want to do, and then politely request the words to use you to fulfill the action," Duskpaw said. "They react very strongly for Rowanwind. I've never seen magick so strong in a single cat."

"It's probably because he's in a prophecy," Thunderstripe suggested. "His destiny is greatly influenced by StarClan."

"That may explain it," Duskpaw said with a nod. "Now, I will demonstrate how to make plants bend to your will."

Duskpaw walked over to a bramble bush. He sat down and stared at the bush with deep concentration in his mismatched eyes.

"Intenglo tho bhemblos ent tuich Thintohsthapo!" Duskpaw whispered.

Rowanwind understood the words as, "Untangle the brambles and touch Thunderstripe!"

They watched in amazement as the bramble bush's tendrils of brambles began to move. Thunderstripe yelped as the brambles came forward and stroked his fur lightly.

"You see?" Duskpaw said, twitching his tail at the brambles. The bush returned to its normal, unmoving state.

"Why can't we understand the words?" Gingerheart asked.

"I could understand them," Rowanwind admitted.

"That's to be expected from you," Duskpaw said to Rowanwind. "The actions only work with this certain tongue. It is impossible to learn because it was created solely for the purpose of reacting to words and making things happen. It's not a language used to communicate between individuals."

"This is amazing," Gingerheart whispered. "And I thought turning into a cat was the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to me!"

Rowanwind and Thunderstripe tensed suddenly. Duskpaw looked at Gingerheart with curiosity. The she-cat suddenly gasped as she realized what she'd let slip.

"Oops," Gingerheart whispered.

"What were you before, if you were not born a cat?" Duskpaw wondered.

"I was...a Twoleg," Gingerheart mumbled.

Duskpaw's ears twitched with surprise. "You are serious?"

"Of course she is! Why would she lie about something like that?" Thunderstripe hissed.

Rowanwind touched his friend's shoulder with his tail-tip. "Calm down, Thunderstripe."

Duskpaw shook his head. "Who turned her into a cat?"

"StarClan did," Rowanwind replied.

"How?" Duskpaw looked at Rowanwind.

"I'm not sure," Rowanwind said. Something suddenly clicked in his head. "Magick! Firestar must have used magick to turn Gingerheart into a cat!"

Duskpaw's whiskers flicked. "It's possible." He turned to look at Gingerheart. "It is possible for me to return you to your Twoleg body so that you may go home."

"No!" Gingerheart yelped.

Thunderstripe's entire pelt was bristled and his yellow eyes were slitted. "You can't turn her back into a Twoleg!"

"Why not?" Duskpaw blinked.

"The forest is my home now," Gingerheart said. "You don't understand. I went back to check on my foster parents, and I learned that they didn't even care I'd disappeared! They only took care of me for their own, selfish purposes! I can't go back. I have nothing to go back to. I belong here with Thunderstripe...and...and Rowanwind."

"Keep your fur on," Duskpaw grumbled. "I won't turn you back into a Twoleg if you don't want me to!"

Thunderstripe's pelt flattened. Gingerheart's eyes filled with relief.

"Can we continue with my lesson?" Duskpaw wondered cautiously.

"Yes. Please, continue," Rowanwind replied. _I want to learn all I can about magick...it might help me defeat Sly later_, he thought to himself.

* * *

Rowanwind padded out the warriors' den a few mornings after his first lesson with Duskpaw. The weather was getting warmer now, and newleaf was coming. He could feel the warmer wind blowing through the camp. He stretched and yawned before padding over to the fresh-kill pile. Granitetail and Reedclaw were both beginning their morning meals.

"Good morning, Rowanwind," Granitetail meowed.

Rowanwind nodded in response. He wondered at the change in Granitetail. Ever since Granitetail's best friend, Icefur, who was also the mate of Rainfur and the father of Webpaw, Nimblepaw, and Sootpaw, had abandoned his Clan to try and join DarkClan, Granitetail had become less grumpy. When once Rowanwind had little respect for the gray and white tom, he now saw that Granitetail was a strong, loyal warrior who the Clan needed greatly, especially now, in the war against DarkClan.

Oakpelt, Crookedfern, Stormypelt, and Webpaw came padding in through the new tunnel entrance, having just come back from dawn patrol. Rowanwind sat back on his haunches and waited for one of them to come over and report. Oakpelt paused to say something to Webpaw before he and Stormypelt walked over to Rowanwind.

"Did you find anything?" Rowanwind wondered.

Oakpelt and Stormypelt glanced at each other momentarily before Oakpelt spoke up. The glance made Rowanwind's nerves go on edge.

"We were near our border with WindClan when we met up with a rogue," Oakpelt explained. "You'd be very interested to hear what he had to say."

Stormypelt interrupted. "He said he was part of a group of other rogues who are survivors of past attacks made by DarkClan. They've been following DarkClan everywhere they go, hoping that they can try and guess where the Clan will go next so that they may warn the cats DarkClan plans on attacking next. He said that they lost the scent and have only just found DarkClan once again."

"He regrets not being here soon enough to warn us," Oakpelt went on. "He would like to meet with the leaders of the four Clans. I told him our leader was attacked by DarkClan, and that we'd speak to our deputy and the other Clan leaders."

"Crimsonstar will not like this," Rowanwind meowed.

Oakpelt laughed. "When has Crimsonstar ever liked anything?"

"True. When does this rogue want to meet with us?" Rowanwind wondered.

Stormypelt blinked. "You don't seem to be surprised by the fact that a group of cats has shown up who have been following DarkClan around."

"I'm not," Rowanwind said. "DarkClan has been destroying Clans for many moons. They were bound to have made enemies along the way."

"He wants to meet tomorrow on the island, at sunhigh," Oakpelt said.

"Good. That gives us enough time to go and speak to the other leaders," Rowanwind said. "Oakpelt, would you please go get Thunderstripe and Gingerheart? I would like to bring them with me."

Oakpelt nodded and walked away.

Rowanwind turned to Stormypelt. "Will you come along, too? It will give you a chance to speak with the kittypets."

Stormypelt glanced over where Francis and Lola were sharing tongues in front of the warriors' den. "Okay. Let me go tell Francis and Lola."

Rowanwind nodded. "I need to speak to Clawstar before I go. Meet me by the entrance."

Stormypelt touched her nose to his cheek quickly before turning and quickly walking over to where her kittypets parents were lying.

Rowanwind stared after the gray she-cat for a few seconds before he walked over to the medicine cat's den. Just as he was entering the den, a gray blur came flying out. Rowanwind jumped out of the way just in time. Maggotpaw gasped and slid to a stop.

"Rowanwind!" Maggotpaw's fur was standing on end. "I'm so sorry!"

"What's going on?" Frostflower called from inside.

"It's okay, Frostflower. Your apprentice was just a little too eager to get out of the den," Rowanwind called to Maggotpaw's mentor. "Where are you heading in such a hurry, Maggotpaw?"

"Um...I was going...for a walk," Maggotpaw replied hesitantly.

"In such a hurry?" Frostflower laughed, appearing in the entryway to her den. "You don't need to rush everywhere you go, Maggotpaw. Save your energy for the times you'll need it!"

"Yes, Frostflower," Maggotpaw whispered. "May I go now?"

"Of course," Rowanwind told her. "Just try and make sure there aren't any cats in your way before you bolt."

Maggotpaw nodded quickly before hurrying away.

"She's so full of enthusiasm," Frostflower said, her amber eyes full of pride. "Maggotpaw's training is coming along really well. She's been taking care of Clawstar's wounds without any help from me now."

"That's wonderful. I wish I could stay and talk, but I need to speak to Clawstar. Is he awake?" Rowanwind wondered.

"Yes. Don't stay long," Frostflower meowed. "I'll leave the two of you alone."

Rowanwind headed into the den and over to where Clawstar lay in the back. He was curled up in a bed of moss. His face, left ear, tail, and all four legs were wrapped with cobwebs. The scratches across his shoulders smelled of herbs.

"Hello, Rowanwind," Clawstar meowed hoarsely.

Rowanwind inwardly cringed. It was getting more and more difficult to come and speak to Clawstar. Every time he saw the broken body of his once strong leader, Rowanwind could barely suppress a cry of outrage toward DarkClan. In a single day, they had taken eight of Clawstar's lives. Now, ThunderClan's wise leader was reduced to lying, helpless, in the medicine cat's den for StarClan knew how long.

"Hello, Clawstar," Rowanwind mewed softly. "I've come with some news. The dawn patrol encountered a possible ally this morning. He is a rogue who survived a previous attack by DarkClan. He has a group of rogues with him who want to speak to us tomorrow on the island. He requested the leaders come, so I will go in your stead. I'm leaving now with Thunderstripe, Gingerheart, and Stormypelt to tell Angelstar, Featherstar, and Crimsonstar about the meeting."

Clawstar's head rose slightly from his paws. "You are doing well in my place, Rowanwind. I trust your decisions with my life."

"Thank you, Clawstar. I'll let you rest now," Rowanwind meowed. He turned and left the medicine cat's den.

Frostflower gave him a quiet nod as he passed her on his way out of her den. She slipped back into her den, disappearing into the cool darkness.

Rowanwind padded over to the tunnel entrance, where Stormypelt was waiting with Thunderstripe and Gingerheart.

"Ready?" Rowanwind asked.

"Of course!" Gingerheart said. "We're always ready to go into enemy territory and have our pelts ripped off."

Thunderstripe laughed. "They aren't going to rip our pelts off, Gingerheart. We're allied with them right now."

Gingerheart flicked her tail-tip in agitation. "Well, they still could."

"We're with Stormypelt. All of the Clans have agreed to let the kittypets walk freely among all four Clans," Rowanwind pointed out. "We should be fine."

"Then let's go!" Thunderstripe bounded first through the tunnel entrance, the others following close behind him.

Rowanwind hoped Gingerheart's worry was just a waste of time. He really didn't want to have to fight anyone today.

* * *

Rowanwind led the way across the border between ThunderClan and ShadowClan. His fur bristled at the silence that greeted them in the dark pine forest of ShadowClan land. Something felt very wrong in this part of the forest. Why weren't the birds calling?

Gingerheart pressed herself up against Thunderstripe, seemingly without thinking. Thunderstripe wrapped his tail around hers in a comforting manner; his wide, yellow eyes showed that he was just as afraid as Gingerheart.

Stormypelt walked forward quickly. "What's going on?" she whispered. Her ears were standing straight up, trying their hardest to find a sound in the silent forest.

"I don't know," Rowanwind whispered. He looked around, scanning the entire area around them. "Do you think it's DarkClan?"

"StarClan only knows," Thunderstripe murmured.

"Wait. Look over there," Stormypelt whispered. She gestured off to their left with her tail.

Rowanwind and his friends all squinted into the distance. A small group of cats was moving slowly through the forest toward them, walking along the border. Even from this distance, all four of the ThunderClan cats could see that the cats were looking around in a panic.

"Hello!" Rowanwind called out to them.

One of the toms raced toward them. "Rowanwind! Stormypelt!" the tom said before stopping beside them. Rowanwind recognized him as Pineroot, a cream tom who had once been a kittypet named Pips.

"What's wrong, Pineroot?" Stormypelt asked him. "You all look so frightened."

Pineroot glanced back at the other ShadowClan cats, who were padding closer. He looked back at Stormypelt with wide eyes. "Stonebreeze was found dead this morning by the dawn patrol. He never came back to camp last night."

"Was it DarkClan's doing?" Rowanwind asked.

"No," one of the other ShadowClan cats replied. He was Brambletongue, a black and cream tom with a white chest. "The cats on the patrol fetched Cracklefur, but it was already too late."

A ginger and white she-cat spoke up next. "The injury was like nothing I've ever seen before. There was a large hole in Stonebreeze's shoulder, which had oozed blood everywhere."

"Rippletail was on the dawn patrol that found him," Brambletongue explained. "Silkpaw here says she heard a strange sound last night coming from the forest while she was asleep. Nobody else woke up, so she assumed it had just been a dream."

"What did the noise sound like?" Gingerheart asked in a whisper, her eyes wide.

Silkpaw, a gray she-cat apprentice with silver eyes, shook her head. "It was very loud. I've never heard anything that loud before."

"Stonebreeze must have been outside the camp last night for some reason," Brambletongue meowed. "Cracklefur thinks whatever made the sound Silkpaw heard is what killed Stonebreeze."

"ThunderClan moarns for your loss," Rowanwind meowed. "We hope it doesn't happen again."

Brambletongue nodded solemnly.

"Can you get a message to Crimsonstar for me?" Rowanwind asked.

"Of course, Rowanwind. Is something the matter in ThunderClan as well?" Brambletongue asked.

"No. We encountered a rogue who says he wants to talk to all of the leaders," Rowanwind explained. "He wants to meet on the island at sunhigh tomorrow. He also says he's encountered DarkClan before."

"You think he will help us?" Rippletail asked.

"We certainly hope so," Rowanwind said. "Will you tell Crimsonstar?"

"Yes, but there are no guarantees that she will agree to go," Pineroot said. "Especially after what happened with Stonebreeze."

"We will try our best, Rowanwind," Brambletongue said.

"That's all I can ask from you," Rowanwind replied with a respectful nod. "We need to be on our way. We still have to talk to Angelstar and Featherstar."

"Wait. Has Clawstar recovered yet?" Brambletongue wondered.

Rowanwind shook his head. "He is getting better, but he still hasn't healed enough to take charge again."

"Those stupid DarkClan cats!" Pineroot snarled, unsheathing his claws and raking them through the dirt. "I want to just..."

"Pineroot, calm down!" Stormypelt said. "You shouldn't get so riled up over something you had no control over."

Pineroot sighed. "I'm just so angry, Stormypelt! There has to be _something_ we can do to stop them!"

Stormypelt looked at Rowanwind with a smile in her blue eyes. "I'm sure someone will think of something that will stop them."

"I think it's time we got going," Thunderstripe said. "We don't want to be out too late."

"Yes. Especially these days," Rippletail agreed. "With DarkClan around, it isn't a good idea to be too long."

"May StarClan watch over you on your short journey," Brambletongue meowed.

"Thank you. And may StarClan watch over your entire Clan," Rowanwind said. "We'll be going now."

* * *

Rowanwind led his friends back through their territory and to their border with WindClan. As they walked, Rowanwind thought about what Ashfang had said the last time he'd seen her. Something evil, something hidden in shadows, was coming, and whatever it was didn't have anything to do with DarkClan. Was the evil Ashfang had warned him about what had killed Stonebreeze?

"Do you think we should wait for a patrol?" Thunderstripe asked.

Stormypelt shook her head. "I usually just walk toward their camp, and I find someone who can tell me where Brownclaw and the others are."

Brownclaw was one of Stormypelt's brothers and another one of the kittypets who had joined in the fight against DarkClan. Back when he'd been a kittypet named Rufus, he had been stationed in WindClan along with Smokey, Stormypelt's other brother. Not very long ago, Rufus and Smokey had accepted an invitation to join WindClan and had been given the warrior names Brownclaw and Smokefrost.

"Well, we aren't looking to talk to the kittypets today," Rowanwind said. "We'll wait for a patrol."

The four of them sat down to wait. Thunderstripe glanced around the forest every once in a while. Gingerheart stared out into the vast, empty sky above WindClan's hill-filled territory. Stormypelt began to wash her ears. Rowanwind kept his ears pricked, waiting to hear the familiar sounds of a patrol.

It wasn't long before five cats appeared on the border. Rowanwind called out to them. A brown tom raced forward to greet them.

"Rowanwind! Thunderstripe!" the brown tom purred. "It's been a while since I last saw you two."

"Hello, Brownclaw," Rowanwind said. "It's good to see you again."

Brownclaw went and touched noses with Stormypelt. "What are you all doing over here?"

The other four WindClan cats came padding over.

"We need to speak to Angelstar. Is she well enough for an audience?" Rowanwind asked.

"She's much better than she was last time you saw her," Brownclaw meowed. He turned to the others. "Do you think it would be okay to escort them to camp?"

Orangefoot, a dark ginger tom with a black striped tail, was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Yes, I think it will be alright. Robinclaw, why don't you go on ahead and warn Angelstar that we have vistors."

The black and white she-cat nodded and raced away.

"Follow us!" Brownclaw said.

Orangefoot took the lead with Rumbleclaw, a white, light brown, and dark gray tom. The white she-cat, who Rowanwind recognized as Cloudpool, walked along beside Brownclaw.

"Stormypelt, this is my mate, Cloudpool," Brownclaw said. "Cloudpool, this is my sister, Stormypelt."

"Your mate!" Stormypelt gasped with delight. "Oh, that's wonderful, Brownclaw! It's a pleasure to meet you, Cloudpool."

"And you," Cloudpool meowed in response. "Brownclaw has told me so much about you. I remember seeing you in one of our battles with DarkClan. You are an excellent fighter."

Stormypelt glanced at Rowanwind with a purr. "I had some great teachers."

"We're nearly there," Orangefoot called back to them.

"So, how is Clawstar?" Brownclaw asked. "Has he gotten any better?"

"A little," Rowanwind answered. "But not enough to resume his duties."

"I hope he makes a full recovery soon," Brownclaw meowed.

"We all do," Stormypelt agreed.

They came upon the WindClan camp. Angelstar and her deputy, Graytail, were sitting just outside the camp entrance, waiting for them.

"Hello, Rowanwind!" Angelstar meowed. "Robinclaw told me you have something to discuss with me."

"Yes," Rowanwind replied. "We've met a rogue who says he'd like to speak to the leaders of the Clans around the lake. He's dealt with DarkClan before, so we are hoping he has come to help us."

"When does he want to meet?" Angelstar asked.

"Sunhight tomorrow, on the island," Rowanwind replied.

"We will be there, then," Angelstar said. "Dovewing has told me that I am finally allowed to leave her den."

"That is great news," Rowanwind replied. "May we have safe passage through your territory so that we may go speak with Featherstar?"

"Of course," Angelstar said. "But be careful. We've had many sightings of DarkClan cats on our territory recently."

Rowanwind nodded. "Thank you for the warning. We will try and be as quick as possible."

"Take as long as you need," Angelstar said.

"Thank you. We should be on our way now," Rowanwind said.

"See you tomorrow," Angelstar meowed.

Rowanwind waved his tail at her and Graytail before turning to pad away. He let Stormypelt have a moment to say good-bye to Brownclaw and Cloudpool before he gestured for her and the others to follow. They headed toward the lakeshore and briskly walked toward RiverClan's border with WindClan.

"Let's hope that Featherstar is as willing as Angelstar was," Thunderstripe meowed as they walked.

"She won't want to be left out," Rowanwind replied. "Is that a RiverClan patrol I smell?"

"Yes. Look, over there." Gingerheart gestured with her tail at a group of cats.

The four of them were sitting near some reeds, which rattled in the wind. All of them were looking around with cautious eyes. Rowanwind noticed when one of them spotted the ThunderClan cats heading toward them. The cat gave a yowl, and the patrol came racing toward them.

"ThunderClan cats!" the silver and gray she-cat snarled. "What are you doing on WindClan territory?"

"Willowfoot, calm down," the silver she-cat beside her said. Rowanwind recognized her as the kind-hearted Timberpelt. "We're allied with ThunderClan now, as are WindClan. There must be a good reason for them to be over here."

"We need to speak to Featherstar," Rowanwind said once Timberpelt had calmed Willowfoot.

"Why do you need to speak to her?" the small, gray and silver tom sitting next to Fogpelt, a gray tom with black stripes and white paws, asked Rowanwind, his amber eyes full of suspicion.

Rowanwind recognized the gray apprentice as Ashpaw, Featherstar's son. When Rowanwind had met Ashpaw, he had been a rambunctious young apprentice who had needed to be watched over closely so he didn't get himself into trouble. Could Ashpaw really still be an apprentice?

"That isn't our business, Ashpaw," Fogpelt meowed to his apprentice. "We'll escort you to Featherstar. Ashpaw, you can go on ahead of us and tell Featherstar about our guests."

Ashpaw flicked his tail-tip with agitation before quickly hurrying off through the reeds, his tail streaming out behind him.

"Is Ashpaw still an apprentice, then?" Rowanwind asked Fogpelt as he, Willowfoot, and Timberpelt led the way toward RiverClan's camp.

"Yes. Featherstar was supposed to assess him this morning, but the dawn patrol caught sight of some DarkClan cats and there was a short battle," Fogpelt replied. "He is starting to get restless. The other apprentices, Sunpaw and Scorchpaw, are much younger than him. He feels like he's a warrior now, despite his name still ending in paw."

"I remember when we first met him," Thunderstripe meowed. "Blossomfur was keeping such a close eye on him, and he was bouncing all over the place."

Fogpelt laughed. "Yes, I remember those days. He's developed into a fine young warrior."

"I couldn't agree more," Timberpelt said.

They were silent the rest of the way to the RiverClan camp. Featherstar was prowling around outside the camp. Her deputy, Rapidriver, was sitting calmly as he watched his leader walking around. Ashpaw was sitting beside Rapidriver, his ears perked up with curiosity.

"What is this about, Rowanwind?" Featherstar asked. "I don't have much time. Rapidriver and I were looking over our camp walls to see if there is need for improvement."

Rowanwind was about to reply when a screech made them all jump.

"What was that?" Rowanwind asked.

* * *

**End of Chapter Four**


	7. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors. The books and characters belong to the Erins. As for the characters that were created for this fanfiction, they are mine. Please don't intentionally steal any of them.

**Chapter 5**

_Rowanwind spun around to try and pinpoint where the yowling was coming_ from. He noticed Featherstar hissing at Rapidriver. The blue-gray tom disappeared through the entrance of RiverClan's camp.

"Rowanwind, will you come with us?" Featherstar asked.

"Of course, Featherstar," Rowanwind replied quickly. "Lead the way."

A few moments later, Rapidriver came running out of the camp with four toms that Rowanwind recognized. Boldstripe was a cream tom with brown stripes. Jaggedscar was a white, gray, and black tom who was missing his right eye. Splinterclaw was a gray tom with a white chest. The last tom, who was brown and dark brown, was Lionstorm.

"Gingerheart!" Lionstorm said in surprise.

"Lionstorm, there is no time!" Featherstar hissed. "Follow me!"

Featherstar led the way in the direction of the yowling. The closer they got, the more Rowanwind recognized the sound as fighting cats. They stumbled through the reeds before coming to a clearing full of cats.

Rowanwind glanced around at the RiverClan cats who were fighting. He recognized Torchfur, Daisyclaw, Woodpuddle, and Willowsky. Daisyclaw was pinned to the ground by a black DarkClan tom. Torchfur and Woodpuddle were forcing a she-cat to back up against a rock that jutted out of the ground. Willowsky was holding her own against three other DarkClan cats, two toms and a she-cat.

"Daisyclaw!" Lionstorm screeched, launching himself at the tom who was pinning the young warrior down.

Stormypelt gave a fierce yowl as she raced over to help Willowsky.

Rowanwind watched as the eyes of the she-cat backed up against the rock widened. She gave a yowl of retreat and raced away. The two toms that Willowsky had been fighting disappeared into the shadows. Stormypelt gave the she-cat she was fighting a good nip on the shoulder, which sent the she-cat racing away. The tom that had been pinning Daisyclaw down was still scuffling in the reeds against Lionstorm, who was knawing on the tom's foreleg.

"Willowsky, are you okay?" Stormypelt panted.

Willowsky laughed. "With you here? How could I be anything but okay?"

Stormypelt laughed breathlessly with her sister.

The last DarkClan tom finally got Lionstorm to let go. With a furious snarl, the tom disappeared into the shadows and was gone.

"Daisyclaw!" Lionstorm rushed over to the black she-cat, who was only just now getting to her paws. "Are you okay? Did Rascal hurt you badly?"

"Rascal?" Daisyclaw hissed. "How do you know his name?"

Lionstorm touched his nose to Daisyclaw's cheek and said, "I was kidnapped by them, remember? I learned a few of their names while I was their prisoner."

"Oh!" Daisyclaw's yellow eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

"It's okay," Lionstorm meowed, twisting his tail around Daisyclaw's.

Rowanwind saw movement out of the corner of his eye and watched Gingerheart walking over to Lionstorm. Thunderstripe walked up on Rowanwind's other side, his eyes full of uncertainty as he watched Gingerheart. Rowanwind touched his friend's shoulder with his tail-tip, but Thunderstripe wouldn't look at him.

"I am sorry you had to be here for this," Featherstar said behind Rowanwind.

Rowanwind turned to face her. "We don't mind, really. It was a good experience for Stormypelt."

"Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Featherstar asked. "Unless it's something we must discuss in private?"

"No, here is fine," Rowanwind replied. He glanced quickly over his shoulder to see Lionstorm and Gingerheart talking, Daisyclaw looking at the two of them with surprise on her face. He turned back to RiverClan's leader and told her about the rogue who wanted to meet all of the leaders.

Featherstar's amber eyes filled with thought before she finally nodded. "I will be there tomorrow. RiverClan wish just as much that the rogue is here to help us."

Rowanwind nodded. "I think it's time we left. We've been gone all day."

Featherstar nodded in understandment. "Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome," Rowanwind replied. He turned to see that Gingerheart was sitting beside Thunderstripe again. Stormypelt was still talking to her sister. Lionstorm and Daisyclaw were nowhere to be seen.

Rowanwind walked over to Thunderstripe and Gingerheart. Ignoring, for the moment, the heartbroken look on Gingerheart's face, Rowanwind whispered, "Let's go home."

* * *

Rowanwind and his friends returned to ThunderClan's camp to find it running like usual. Granitetail and Oakpelt were sitting by the fresh-kill pile, talking. Snowcloud and Poppyflower were watching Stormkit play with a ball of moss in front of the nursery. Barrenoak and Tenderclaw were lying in a patch of sunlight by the elders' den.

"Do you think we should tell the Clan about what we learned from the other Clans?" Thunderstripe whispered as they entered the camp.

Rowanwind nodded. "I was planning on it."

Thunderstripe nodded as well. He glanced at Gingerheart, who hadn't said a single word the entire trip home. Rowanwind wondered if his friend was planning on talking with Gingerheart about what had just happened between her and Lionstorm. Before Rowanwind could say anything to his best friend, Gingerheart touched Rowanwind's shoulder with her tail-tip.

"Can I talk to you, Rowanwind?" He saw the quick glance she gave Thunderstripe. "Privately, please?"

Rowanwind saw the disgruntled look on Thunderstripe's face. He turned to look at Stormypelt and was surprised to find her looking just as disgruntled as Thunderstripe. He slowly turned back to Gingerheart, his mind in a state of confusion. "Okay. Let's go for a quick walk."

Gingerheart led the way back out of the camp.

"I can't talk long, Gingerheart. I need to tell Clawstar and the rest of the Clan what we learned today," Rowanwind meowed.

"I understand," Gingerheart whispered. She stopped beside a tree and sat down. Rowanwind watched her fidget uncomfortably and waited for her to say something.

After a few minutes of silence, Rowanwind asked, "What is it you need to talk to me about?"

Gingerheart wrapped her tail arond her paws. "I found out today that Lionstorm and Daisyclaw are in love."

Rowanwind nodded. "I saw you talking to them."

Gingerheart stared at her paws. "I've been so confused lately, Rowanwind. I'm not sure what to do. My mind tells me one thing, and my heart tells me another."

Rowanwind didn't feel comfortable with where this conversation was heading. "What do you mean?"

"I'm confused because I'm in love with three different cats, Rowanwind." Gingerheart shook her head.

Rowanwind stared at her for a moment. "Who?"

"I fell for you during the time I was in ThunderClan before I was kidnapped," Gingerheart whispered. Her voice was thick with emotion. "But then Lionstorm and I were kidnapped. We were trapped together for so long. I fell in love with him. How could I not? He was the only sane thing I had in a world of chaos and darkness.

"But then, when I returned to ThunderClan, Thunderstripe started being so nice to me. I couldn't stop thinking about Lionstorm, until I realized that he and I couldn't be together...not if we wanted to remain loyal to our Clans. I wasn't even sure if Lionstorm felt the same way toward me.

"You and Thunderstripe have been the greatest friends I could have ever hoped for. I feel like I don't deserve to have friends like you. I've seen the differences in the two of you from before I was kidnapped. I fell for you first, but you're so different now. It took me the longest time to get to know you again. I'm quite certain I'm in love with Thunderstripe now, but I still feel the same about you, despite all the changes.

"I just don't know what to do. I've seen the way you and Stormypelt look at each other, and I think it would be cruel of me to ask you if you love me the way I love both you and Thunderstripe."

"Gingerheart..." Rowanwind paused and shook his head. "If you could see the expression in Thunderstripe's eyes when he talks about you...the way he looks at you when you aren't looking...I'm not the one you should be talking to. I do have...feelings for Stormypelt. And you...I love you as a sister, Gingerheart, not as a mate."

She finally looked up from her paws. Her light brown eyes were shining with tears. "I was really hoping you wouldn't be mad at me."

"Mad? Gingerheart, why would I be mad? I think you and Thunderstripe are meant to be together," Rowanwind replied. "You need to tell him everything you just told me."

"Now?" she squeaked.

"Only if you're ready," Rowanwind whispered.

Gingerheart took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready."

"Okay. I'll go tell him you want to speak with him," Rowanwind said, standing up.

"Thank you for being so understanding. I really don't deserve to be your friend," Gingerheart mewed.

"What are friends for?" Rowanwind said with a flick of his tail. He padded away to go tell Thunderstripe that Gingerheart wanted to see him. He knew that, very soon, his two best friend would be mates.

* * *

After telling Thunderstripe that Gingerheart wanted to speak to him, Rowanwind went to Frostflower's den to talk to Clawstar. He found the leader sitting up in his nest, talking to Frostflower about how well Maggotpaw's training was going.

"Hello, Rowanwind!" Clawstar said with a happy glint in his light green eyes. "How was your trip to see the other leaders?"

"Quite eventful," Rowanwind replied. "We learned that Stonebreeze of ShadowClan is dead."

Clawstar and Frostflower looked taken aback.

"Was it a DarkClan attack?" Clawstar wondered, his eyes clouded with disbelief.

"No," Rowanwind said. "He died from a mysterious hole in his shoulder. He didn't go back to camp last night. One of their apprentices said she heard a strange noise last night, and Cracklefur suspects whatever made the noise is what killed Stonebreeze. A ShadowClan dawn patrol found him this morning."

"That's horrible," Frostflower meowed.

"Did Crimsonstar agree to meet with the rogue after what happened?" Clawstar wondered.

"I don't know. We asked a ShadowClan border patrol to give her the message," Rowanwind said.

"What about Angelstar and Featherstar?" Clawstar asked.

"Both of them agreed to go," Rowanwind answered. "While we were on RiverClan territory, they were attacked by DarkClan."

"Was anyone badly injured?" Frostflower wanted to know.

Rowanwind shook his head. "No. We helped to chase them off RiverClan's territory."

Clawstar nodded. "We have som good news for you in light of all this. Frostflower says that I may move around the camp tomorrow."

"But he must continue to sleep in my den," Frostflower added. "I don't want him climbing up onto the Highledge, or up to his den."

Rowanwind nodded. "That is good news."

"Are you going to tell the Clan about what you witnessed and heard today?" Clawstar asked.

"Yes, but I felt it was better to come and tell you first," Rowanwind said in response.

Clawstar nodded solemnly. "Ashfang chose you well as my deputy, young Rowanwind."

Rowanwind purred. "I am very glad to hear that."

"You may go now," Clawstar said.

Rowanwind gave a final nod before heading out of the den. He glanced around the camp. Oakpelt was now sitting with Snowcloud, watching their son. With a jolt, Rowanwind realized that Stormkit was old enough to be made an apprentice. He needed to discuss Stormkit's apprentice ceremony with Clawstar after the meeting.

Rowanwind padded toward the Highledge but was intercepted by Stormypelt. She still looked very agitated.

"So, what did you and Gingerheart talk _privately_ about?" Stormypelt asked, an edge to her voice.

Rowanwind couldn't make himself look her in the eyes. "It was a private conversation for a reason, Stormypelt. If you really must know, then ask Gingerheart when she is done talking to Thunderstripe."

"Oh!" Stormypelt's fur flattened. "It's okay. I wasn't _that_ interested."

"If you say so," Rowanwind said, giving her a curious glance.

"Don't you have a meeting to hold? Don't let me hold you up," Stormypelt said hurriedly before quickly walking away.

With a shake of his head, Rowanwind headed for the Highledge again. He scrambled up and looked down at the camp.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Rowanwind yowled.

Rowanwind watched the cats gather beneath him. He saw Oakpelt lead Snowcloud and Stormkit over and was glad to see his half-brother finally putting his affair with Maplerose, a RiverClan she-cat, behind him. Granitetail came over with Reedclaw and Crookedfern. Quickpelt and Twigleaf came padding over from where they had been sharing tongues near the nursery. Sootpaw walked over from the elders' den, where he had been cleaning out the moss. When he sat next to Wetpelt and Lightdew, the two she-cats got up and moved away. Rowanwind recognized the hurt expression on Sootpaw's face when the only cat to sit next to him was his mother, Rainfur.

Come to think of it, Rowanwind remembered that Sootpaw had gradually begun to become less popular with the other ThunderClan cats. Did it have anything to do with the fact that Sootpaw look much his traitorous father, Icefur?

Rowanwind began to feel suspicion crawl through his belly. Had someone caught Sootpaw doing something questionable and were waiting for the moment to tell him or Clawstar about it? Why were Sootpaw's own sisters, Webpaw and Nimblepaw, not sitting with their brother and mother?

"What's going on, Rowanwind?" Crookedfern called, gently reminding Rowanwind that he was supposed to be speaking.

Rowanwind cleared his throat before he began.

"As I'm sure many of you have heard, this morning's dawn patrol met a rogue who said that he has encountered DarkClan before. He wants to meet the leaders of all the Clans. Oakpelt, who was on the dawn patrol, told the rogue that our leader would not be able to make it. I will go instead. Oakpelt, I would like you and Stormypelt to come with me to the island tomorrow. Just in case this is a trick by DarkClan, I would like Crookedfern, Blackcloud, and Cedarspirit to come with us. The rest of you can stay behind in the camp, in case of an attack here.

"Thunderstripe, Gingerheart, Stormypelt, and I went and traveled to the other three territories around the lake to talk with the other leaders. We went to ShadowClan first and left a message to Crimsonstar with one of her border patrols. The patrol told us that one of their warriors, Stonebreeze, died from a mysterious injury last night. He was found this morning by ShadowClan's dawn patrol. One of ShadowClan's apprentices heard a strange noise last night, while Stonebreeze was away from camp. We need to be extra careful while we are all out of camp, just in case whatever killed Stonebreeze comes to our territory.

"While we were on RiverClan's territory, we learned that they had been attacked by DarkClan early this morning. We were there for only a few moments when they were attacked a second time by DarkClan. The four of us helped to chase the DarkClan cats away.

"Both Angelstar and Featherstar have agreed to meet the rogue tomorrow on the island. We aren't sure of Crimsonstar's answer because we only sent her a message through her warriors."

"What sort of injury was it that killed Stonebreeze?" Darkeye called out curiously.

"We were told that he had a hole in his shoulder, which had oozed blood everywhere," Rowanwind replied hoarsely.

The cats turned and whispered to each other. He could feel the tension coming off of them and could smell their fear scent.

"As long as we are extra careful, we shouldn't be in any trouble from this new threat," Rowanwind said, trying to sound confident. "As long as all border and hunting patrols keep a look out for anything suspicious, we should be perfectly fine."

"What made the hole, Rowanwind?" Thornfur asked.

Rowanwind shook his head. "The patrol told us it was like nothing any of them had seen before. They'd fetched Cracklefur, but it was already too late."

The cats eyes widened and the whispers grew more frantic.

"Calm down. We need to focus on the meeting with the rogue for now," Rowanwind told the Clan. "Everyone be extra careful, and do not leave the camp alone for any reason. We will get through this if we act rationally and don't panic."

The whisperings died down and their fur began to lie flat. With a sigh, Rowanwind flicked his tail to indicate he was finished and scrambled down from the Highledge.

Stormypelt walked over to him. "That was a good meeting. I don't think you convinced the Clan much about us being out of danger, though."

Rowanwind sighed. "I know, Stormypelt. But what more could I have done?"

* * *

**End of Chapter Five**


	8. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors. I do own the characters that were created for this story. Please don't steal my characters intentionally.

**Chapter 6**

_"I think that is a brilliant idea, Rowanwind," Clawstar meowed when_ Rowanwind suggested that they hold Stormkit's ceremony soon. "I had completely forgotten that Stormkit was old enough. I'm surprised that Oakpelt and Snowcloud haven't said anything to us."

Rowanwind touched Clawstar's shoulder with his tail-tip. "You've been injured for some time, Clawstar. Most likely they didn't want to bother you during your time of healing."

Clawstar blinked. "Yes, that is true. But they still could have spoken to you about it. I'm sure they are very anxious to finally see their kit become an apprentice."

"Oakpelt is my half-brother," Rowanwind said. "He must have thought that I was under too much pressure already."

"Then you may tell them that we will hold Stormkit's apprentice ceremony tomorrow morning," Clawstar said. "Now, who should we choose as his mentor? Did you have anyone in mind?"

"Actually, yes," Rowanwind replied with a purr. "I was thinking Thornfur would be a perfect mentor for Stormkit. Thornfur didn't have much time with Gingerheart because she got kidnapped before he could finish her training, and you made her a warrior so soon after she came back."

Clawstar nodded his agreement. "Then Thornfur it is. You may want to mention it to him before you speak to Snowcloud and Stormkit."

Rowanwind nodded. "I will go and speak to them all right away."

"See you tomorrow morning," Clawstar said before Rowanwind slipped back out of Frostflower's den.

Rowanwind looked around the camp, trying to find Thornfur. He found the black and white tom sharing tongues with Blackcloud, his brother, near the fresh-kill pile.

"Hello," Blackcloud meowed to Rowanwind as he approached.

Rowanwind gave the older warrior a respectful nod before turning to Thornfur. "Thornfur, I need to speak to you."

Thornfur stood up and stretched. "Excuse us, Blackcloud."

The two of them walked a little ways from Blackcloud to a spot where none of the other ThunderClan cats were sitting at the moment.

"Clawstar and I decided it was time that Stormkit was made an apprentice," Rowanwind said. "Are you interested in mentoring him?"

Thornfur's yellow eyes lit up. "Of course, Rowanwind! It would be my pleasure."

"Good," Rowanwind meowed. "The ceremony is tomorrow morning."

"Great! Thanks, Rowanwind!" Thornfur meowed. The sleek tom walked away, his face lit with excitement.

Rowanwind walked over to Reedclaw, who was talking with Wetpelt and Granitetail. The three of them turned to look at him as he walked over.

"Would you three mind doing the dawn patrol tomorrow morning?" Rowanwind asked. "Granitetail, you can bring Sootpaw with you as well."

Wetpelt looked uncomfortable at the thought that Sootpaw was going to be going with them. "Actually, Rowanwind, I was already planning on going on a hunting patrol tomorrow morning with Lightdew. If that's okay?"

"Of course," Rowanwind said with a nod. "Meadowlark can go instead."

He walked away from the three elder warriors, his suspicions about Sootpaw aroused again. Why was Wetpelt so against going on a patrol with the young tom? Could she have been the one to have seen him do something disloyal to the Clan? Had Sootpaw even done anything disloyal at all to be treated in such a way?

Snowcloud and Stormkit were just finishing eating when Rowanwind walked over. Snowcloud looked at him with her soft blue eyes curious.

"Hello, Rowanwind," Snowcloud meowed.

"Rowanwind!" Stormkit mewed, looking up from his meal and waving his tail in hello.

"Hello," Rowanwind said. "I've come with some good news. Clawstar is holding your apprentice ceremony tomorrow morning, Stormkit."

Stormykit leapt to his paws. "Really? Who's going to be my mentor?"

Rowanwind laughed at his nephew's excitement. "I can't tell you. It's a secret. You'll find out soon enough, though."

Snowcloud's blue eyes were full of happiness now. "Thank you for telling us, Rowanwind. Have you told Oakpelt yet? He's been very anxious for Stormkit's ceremony, but he didn't want to pester you."

"No, I haven't seen him since the meeting," Rowanwind replied. "Do you know where he went?"

"I think he's in the warriors' den," Snowcloud meowed. "Don't worry about waking him up. He'll want to know about this."

"Of course," Rowanwind said. "I'd better go tell him."

Rowanwind padded over to the warriors' den and headed inside. He found Oakpelt curled up in his usual spot in the den.

"Oakpelt, are you awake?" Rowanwind called softly.

Oakpelt lifted his head. His yellow eyes glowed in the last rays of the sunlight that streamed in behind Rowanwind. "Rowanwind? Is something wrong?"

"No. I've come with good news," Rowanwind replied. "Stormkit's apprentice ceremony is tomorrow morning."

Oakpelt sat up. "That's not good news, that's wonderful news! Thank you for coming and telling me, Rowanwind!"

"You're welcome," Rowanwind said. Rowanwind glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was heading for the den. "Oakpelt, I'm very glad that you've finally put Maplerose behind you."

Oakpelt's head lowered. "Yes. But that doesn't mean I can stop missing her."

Rowanwind sighed. "Oakpelt, you know it's for the best. Just be glad that Clawstar accepted Coldkit into ThunderClan without too many questions. You're very lucky that Softcreek still has enough milk to feed Coldkit until he can be weaned."

Oakpelt nodded. "I'm very happy for Stormkit, Rowanwind, but I can't help feeling attached to Coldkit. I visit him every chance I get. Snowcloud and Softcreek were curious as to why I was visiting the kit so often, and I had to tell them I'd taken an interest in him after I saw his mother stumble away to die."

"I understand," Rowanwind whispered. "Get some sleep, Oakpelt. Remember, you're coming with me tomorrow to the meeting with the rogue."

"Good night," Oakpelt meowed.

"Good night, brother," Rowanwind whispered before slipping outside of the den once more.

* * *

Rowanwind woke up the next morning to the sounds of birds chirping. He stood and shook the moss from his pelt before slipping outside. Reedclaw, Meadowlark, Granitetail, and Sootpaw came walking in through the entrance, having finished the dawn patrol. Sootpaw headed over to the fresh-kill pile.

"Bring something to the elders first," Granitetail told his apprentice.

"But there isn't enough," Sootpaw said, gesturing at the two mice and the thrush that were lying in the pile.

"There is enough for the elders," Granitetail replied. "Don't worry, Sootpaw. Remember, we passed Wetpelt and Lightdew on the way back in. They were going out to hunt. Now, go bring these to the elders. You have the strength to wait a little while before Wetpelt and Lightdew come back."

Grumbling, Sootpaw grabbed the three pieces of fresh-kill and stalked off to the elders' den.

"A bit grouchy this morning, isn't he?" Meadowlark said as Rowanwind passed by the three warriors from the dawn patrol to get to Frostflower's den.

He heard Granitetail sigh. "Yes. I'm afraid he's turning out to be like his father."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Reedclaw wondered. "Icefur was a strong, skillful warrior."

Rowanwind glanced over his shoulder to see Meadowlark and Granitetail glance at each other. He was too far away by now to hear their response, so he slipped into Frostflower's den.

Frostflower was replacing the cobwebs on some of Clawstar's still-healing injuries. The Clan leader lay obediently still as Frostflower worked. When Rowanwind entered, Clawstar's eyes opened and he sat up.

"Good morning," Clawstar said. "How are things in the camp this morning?"

"The dawn patrol just got back. Nothing must have happened because they didn't come and speak to me," Rowanwind said. "Wetpelt and Lightdew are out hunting. Sootpaw brought the elders the last pieces of fresh-kill. Other than that, it's quiet."

"A good morning for an apprentice ceremony," Clawstar commented.

Rowanwind nodded.

When Frostflower had finished replacing the cobwebs, Clawstar stretched and gave a large yawn.

"You will have to call for the meeting to begin," Clawstar said. "Since Frostflower is not allowing me to climb onto the Highledge."

"For good reason!" Frostflower called as Clawstar led the way out of her den.

Clawstar chuckled. He looked up at the sky showing through the trees at the top of the hollow and took a deep breath. "Ah. I can see the sky again."

Rowanwind laughed. "I imagine it was difficult being stuck in Frostflower's den for so long."

Clawstar and Rowanwind walked toward the Highledge. "It was much harder than I could ever have imagined, especially knowing that all of my duties had been dumped onto you," Clawstar meowed.

"It's okay, Clawstar," Rowanwind said. "I was only doing my duty to the Clan."

"Of course," Clawstar said. "Now, are you ready to call the meeting?"

Rowanwind nodded and clambered up to sit on the Highledge. "All cats old enough to hunt their own prey, gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

The den entrances began to move as cats began to pull themselves out of their warm nests to gather beneath Rowanwind. He watched Oakpelt and Snowcloud bring Stormkit over. The kit was groomed so neatly that he reminded Rowanwind of the day that his cousins, Cottonbrave and Silvermoon, has been made apprentices. Cottonkit had been groomed so nicely that Rowanwind had called him a kittypet. Oh, how he missed Cottonbrave...

As more and more of the cats gathered, Rowanwind slipped down from the Highledge. He found Clawstar seated on a rock that was barely a rabbit's hop tall. The ThunderClan warriors all saw their leader seated before them and began to shout with joy.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Clawstar called, his voice brimming with happiness. The shouts died down into respectful silence. "I am glad to finally sit before you once more. However, as directed to me by Frostflower, I am not allowed into my den or onto the Highledge, for now. But, I do not need to be seated on the Highledge to do Stormkit's apprentice ceremony! Stormkit, please come forward."

The dark gray kit came forward, his chest and paws glowing pearly white in the morning sunlight that shown down on him. He stopped in front of Clawstar and Rowanwind, his light yellow eyes wide with exhilaration.

"Stormkit, from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw." Clawstar brought his chin up a little higher as he said, "Thornfur, you are a wise, kind, and greatly loved cat in this Clan. I wish for you to pass on all of your wisdom and kindness to Stormpaw."

Thornfur came forward, his own yellow eyes glowing. "I will, Clawstar." He stopped in front of Stormpaw, and the two touched noses.

"Stormpaw! Stormpaw!" the Clan shouted as Thornfur and Stormpaw walked over to sit beside Thunderstripe and Palepaw.

"Good luck to you, Stormpaw," Clawstar meowed. "That is all."

* * *

Later that day, Rowanwind had Purepaw tell all of the cats he'd chosen to come with him to the meeting with the rogue that they needed to meet him at the entrance of the camp. It wasn't long before Oakpelt, Stormypelt, Crookedfern, Blackcloud, and Cedarspirit were all sitting around him.

"Okay, listen up. We are heading to this meeting in the mindset that the rogue is friendly and is not allied with DarkClan. If it does turn out that the rogue is allied with DarkClan, and this is an ambush, then I want Stormypelt to rush back to our territory. Stormypelt, you will find a patrol waiting on the edge of our territory with WindClan. If it turns to a fight, bring them to help us," Rowanwind said.

"Why can't I stay and fight?" Stormypelt demanded.

"You're the fastest of us," Rowanwind tried to explain. "Besides, we're hoping it doesn't turn into a fight, right? That plan is only in case we must fight."

He didn't mention one of the real reasons he wanted Stormypelt to be the one to fetch the patrol he'd told to stay near the WindClan border. Rowanwind did not want Stormypelt to get hurt, and if sending her off to fetch other warriors was the best way to keep her safe, then that was what he would order her to do.

"Is everyone ready?" Rowanwind asked. "Remember, we want to make it look like we're there to talk in peace. Try not to look too hostile."

The others all nodded quietly.

"Then let's go," Rowanwind meowed.

He led the others out of the camp and through the forest to the lake edge. In single file, with Rowanwind in the lead and Blackcloud at the rear, they followed the lakeshore around to the island. Rowanwind could smell fresh WindClan and RiverClan scent on the log bridge that connected the island to the mainland. There was no scent of ShadowClan.

"I guess Crimsonstar decided not to come," Stormypelt said. "I guess I can see why. She and the other ShadowClan cats must be terrified of going out into their forest, after what happened to..."

"Are you saying ShadowClan is full of cowards?" a voice hissed.

The six of them spun around to see Crimsonstar stalking toward them. The white and red she-cat was flanked by four warriors, all whom Rowanwind recognized. Brambletongue, one of the cats who had been on the ShadowClan patrol from yesterday, waved his tail in hello.

Stormypelt ducked her head and laid her ears flat against her head.

"That's what I thought," Crimsonstar sneered. Her dark blue eyes switched to Rowanwind. "Once a kittypet, always a kittypet."

Stormypelt raised her head and hissed. "I'm more of a Clan cat than you'll ever acknowledge, Crimsonstar!"

Rowanwind touched the she-cat's shoulder with his tail-tip. "Calm down, Stormypelt. We aren't here to fight each other. We are here to speak to a possible ally against DarkClan."

Crimsonstar snorted and stalked over to the log bridge. She clawed her way up and began to cross. Her four warriors crossed quickly after her.

"Well, here we go," Rowanwind said before dragging himself up onto the log bridge. He weaved through jutting up branches, worn smooth from all the generations of cats passing over the tree. Once he reached the other end, he jumped down to the rocky shore of the island. Crimsonstar and her warriors had already headed to the clearing in the middle of the island.

Rowanwind waited for his warriors before leading the way to the clearing. He saw Angelstar, Featherstar, and Crimsonstar all sitting beneath the tree that they usually stood in during Gatherings. He gestured at his warriors to mingle before walking over to sit with the leaders.

"Well? Where is this rogue?" Crimsonstar demanded as Rowanwind sat down.

"It's not quite sunhigh yet, Crimsonstar," Featherstar pointed out.

The four of them fell silent, waiting and watching as their warriors whispered to each other. Rowanwind hoped that none of his warriors were giving away too much information about what ThunderClan was up to these days.

Then, suddenly, there was a gasp from over near where the cats entered the clearing from the log bridge. The gathered warriors split apart, leaving a wide space that led right up to the leaders and Rowanwind.

A large, silver tom with a gray face, ears, and paws and silver eyes walked at the forefront of the small group of cats. Just behind the silver tom was a broad-shouldered, white and black tom who had light yellow eyes. Rowanwind carefully assessed the other cats in the group. There was a black and brown tom who had light yellow-gray eyes; he looked serenly around at the Clan cats. Beside the black and brown tom was a brown and black tabby tom who had a ginger and white muzzle. This tom was looking around with scrutiny in his green eyes. Walking behind these two toms were two much smaller cats who looked barely over six moons. One was an orange and white tom with amber eyes, and the other was a creamy white she-cat with yellow eyes. The way they kept close made Rowanwind think they were brother and sister. Behind these two small cats were two she-cats; one a gray with black stripes and a white nose, muzzle, and paws and one who had long, ginger fur and silver eyes. The striped she-cat was keeping her eyes pinned on Rowanwind and the leaders, while the ginger she-cat was all eyes for the two youngsters in front of her.

The group stopped a few fox-lengths from Rowanwind and the Clan leaders. The silver tom lowered his head in a respectful nod.

"Hello. My name is Gloom, and I am the temporary leader of RogueClan. We may be small in numbers, but what we lack in fighting force, we make up for with knowledge of DarkClan," the silver tom meowed.

Rowanwind stepped forward. "If you are against DarkClan, then you are certainly welcome here. However, if you are with DarkClan, know that we will treat you the same as we do them. We will not tolerate allies of DarkClan on our territories!"

The three leaders meowed their agreement.

Gloom nodded. "We understand completely. We've been in your situation before, but we did not have allies to help us. Each of us has a story to tell, but I will give the shorter versions. Smutty, Coal, and I were once part of a Clan called MoonClan." He gestured with his tail at the black and white tom and the black and brown tom. "We had no rivals, and the only thing we ever had to fight were the occasional badgers and foxes. Then, one day, DarkClan came. We had no warning from our fighter ancestors in NightClan. They told us that they would give us a chance to surrender peacefully, but when our leader, Turtlestar, refused, we found ourselves in a long war.

"DarkClan weakened us over time. They would choose the times to fight because we had no idea where they had their camp. Over many moons, and many seasons, DarkClan picked our Clan off one by one. Some were killed, others kidnapped and never seen again. Smutty, Coal, and I were some of the last survivors. Turtlestar, despite having five lives left at the beginning of the war, lost his lives fighting against DarkClan's leader, Sly. Our deputy, Marshstone, ordered us to take Sparrowheart, the last remaining queen, away. We did as he ordered, knowing that we would never see Marshstone, or the last two fighters we left behind, again.

"Unfortunately, Sparrowheart died from an illness she contracted when we were traveling. She wasn't strong enough to fight off the sickness, and none of us were herb healers, so we had no idea what to give her. We buried her beneath the first tree we saw a sparrow sitting in.

"The three of us decided we would follow DarkClan and try to guess where they would head next, to try and warn future wars against DarkClan. We were able to warn one Clan, and numerous loners and rogues. The Clan, who called themselves BirdClan, would not take our advice to leave. We do not know if they survived their war against DarkClan, but I am sure they did not.

"We later met Tiger and Pidgeon, once rogues, who were forced from their homes by DarkClan." He gestured at the brown and black tabby tom and the striped she-cat. "Beauty and her kits, Flicker and Flower, came to us after her family, who lived in a Twoleg barn, was attacked by DarkClan and her mate was kidnapped by them." He motioned at the ginger she-cat and the two young cats seated on eather side of her.

"Ever since then, we have been following DarkClan and trying desperately to warn cats against their evil ways. None of us want what happened to us to happen to other cats, no matter if they be of a Clan, or are a loner or rogue."

"We understand your pain," Featherstar meowed. "We have already lost warriors in our fight against DarkClan."

"We are very sorry that we did not get here in time to warn you all about them," Gloom said with a heavy sigh. "We could have prevented the loss of your fighters."

"What would you have had us do? Leave?" Crimsonstar scoffed. "Our ancestors once had to move all four Clans. We live around this lake because of them. We would have refused to leave if you had suggested that! We are four Clans against one. We have kittypets fighting alongside us. DarkClan have no chance of defeating us!"

Gloom's silver eyes burned with a strange intensity. "You are quite lucky to have so many allies, when MoonClan had none. I have seen many deaths in my lifetime...too many. Have DarkClan not used their magick against you yet? Are you blind to the fact that they can become badgers and crows?"

"No, we are not blind to that fact," Rowanwind said, standing. "Actually, I am quite knowledgeable about that. You see, one of DarkClan's members betrayed them. He was nearly forced to kill a RiverClan kit, but instead he saved her and returned her home. When RiverClan refused to let the DarkClan traitor into their Clan, ThunderClan accepted him. For some time now, I have been able to use the same magick that the DarkClan cats use. Duskpaw is helping me learn more about the magick. Just ask Oakpelt here. He can vouch that I became a fox during an attack by DarkClan on our camp."

Oakpelt nodded. "It's true. I saw him myself."

Gloom's silver eyes were wide. His few Clanmates were looking at Rowanwind with astonishment on their faces. Rowanwind heard the other warriors from the other Clans whispering to each other.

"How is that possible? How can you, what DarkClan call a light demon, how can you use their magick?" Gloom whispered.

"Duskpaw says that the language is used to make things happen," Rowanwind replied. "He says that the words react more strongly for some cats."

"Prove it!" the brown and black tabby tom snapped. "Prove to us all that you can become a fox!"

"If you really want me to," Rowanwind said. "A em e fux!"

Rowanwind felt the changes happening. His muzzle grew longer, his teeth growing larger and more jagged. His tail became bushy and turned white at the tip. The fur on his paws turned back.

There were gasps from all around him. Crimsonstar hissed and back away from him. Featherstar was looking at Rowanwind with amazement in her amber eyes. Angelstar looked horrified.

Rowanwind let himself become a cat again. "Was that proof enough?"

"Yes," Gloom meowed. "You are a unique cat. What is your name?"

"Rowanwind," he replied. "I am ThunderClan's deputy."

"Ah. Yes, Oakpelt told me that your leader was attacked by DarkClan and was not in any shape to travel," Gloom said with a nod. "This is quite interesting. We thought that only DarkClan cats could use the magick."

Rowanwind shook his head. "They learned the language from a Clan that they destroyed generations ago."

"How do you know that?" Gloom wondered in awe.

"I've been visited by one of DarkClan's ancestors. His name is Deathmask, and he created DarkClan when he was alive and young. Now, after being dead for so long, he has realized that he made a terrible mistake when he created DarkClan. He greatly wishes to make amends by helping destroy DarkClan, but his own kits, who also walk in the heavens, are stopping him."

"You have been...visited by a spirit?" Gloom shook his head. "Oh, my."

"You aren't telling him everything, Rowanwind," Crimsonstar hissed softly. "Why don't you tell him about the prophecy you play such a large role in?"

"Prophecy?" Gloom's ears pricked with interest. "What's this about a prophecy?"

"Our medicine cat, what you call a herb healer, was visited by our warrior ancestors, cats of StarClan, as we call them. She was given a prophecy that went, "_Only the ghost of starlight can heed his cause, when teeth meet teeth and claws meet claws. Nine lines he'll have, but no leader's name. The descendant of Fire, two of the same_. _A ginger tom will rise to conquer the dark, his friend be the apprentice of a lark. Without love, without faith, he will fall, lest the wall of hatred cover you all,_" Rowanwind said. "I am visited often by our warrior ancestors. It was revealed to me that I am the ginger tom in the prophecy. It is my destiny to destroy the dark...DarkClan."

Gloom bowed his head low to Rowanwind. "It is a pleasure to meet such a cat as you. I did not know that cats other than leaders and herb healers could be met by ancestors that walk in the heavens. You are truly a blessed cat."

"There's no need for that," Rowanwind replied. "I am no different than the rest of you. It doesn't matter that I can use magick, or I am visited by our ancestors. I am loyal Clan cat who wants to do nothing more than serve his Clan."

Gloom purred. "Humble, as well. I, and the other members of RogueClan, will follow you into battle against DarkClan, young Rowanwind. We want to see them stopped as much as the rest of you. It is time that their long reign of terror ends."

"I couldn't agree more, Gloom," Rowanwind said. He repeated it in a whisper, "I couldn't agree more."

**End of Chapter Six**


	9. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors. However, I do happen to own the characters that were created for this story. Please don't steal any of them intentionally.

**Chapter 7**

_After Crimsonstar, Featherstar, and Angelstar introduced themselves to Gloom_ as well, the three leaders and Rowanwind went off to discuss what they should do now with RogueClan.

"I don't trust them," Crimsonstar said the moment they were out of earshot of the other cats.

"Crimsonstar, you trust no one but the cats of your own Clan," Featherstar meowed harshly. "You not trusting them comes to no surprise." The RiverClan leader looked at Angelstar and Rowanwind. "It is obvious that they want to help us. They have been through much more than we have. It's also quite clear that they will follow Rowanwind to their last dying breath, especially Gloom."

"Then are we agreeing to ally ourselves with them?" Rowanwind asked.

Angelstar nodded. "I cannot think of turning them away now."

Crimsonstar grunted. "Fine. But if they turn out to betray us, I blame the rest of you for not listening to me."

"That is fine, Crimsonstar," Featherstar meowed.

Rowanwind couldn't help but feel deep respect for Featherstar. She was never afraid to say something harsh to the grouchy Crimsonstar.

"Now, we need to figure out where they are going to live," Featherstar said. "I know for certain that none of us have the room to allow them onto our territories."

Rowanwind suddenly had an idea. "What about the area around the Moonpool? It would be perfect. There are no longer any cats there because DarkClan killed off most of Slug and Thicket's family."

"That is a brilliant idea, Rowanwind," Featherstar agreed. "Are there any objections to allowing RogueClan a temporary home in the area near the Moonpool?"

Angelstar and Crimsonstar did not object.

"Then it's settled," Featherstar said. "Let us go and tell them."

The four of them headed back to the clearing.

"We've come to a decision," Rowanwind told the members of RogueClan. "You may fight with us. As for where you may stay, there is an area near our sacred Moonpool that you can stay. You may come with us of ThunderClan so we may show you."

"Thank you. You will not regret having us fight beside you. We'll fight until this war is over," Gloom meowed. "Lead on, Rowanwind. Lead on."

* * *

After Rowanwind and the others showed RogueClan the area where they could stay, they headed back home. The forest seemed peaceful, for once, with birds chirruping and the wind rustling the branches of the trees overhead. Rowanwind couldn't remember the last time he felt so peaceful. No doubt it had been before DarkClan had cast shadows over the Clans around the lake.

"Do you hear that?" Oakpelt whispered, stopping in his tracks.

Rowanwind and the others stopped quickly. Stormypelt looked at Oakpelt curiously. The other three looked around, their ears perked to try and pinpoint the noise that Oakpelt had heard.

"This way!" Oakpelt said in a low whisper. He went into the hunter's crouch and began to creep around a bush.

Rowanwind gestured with his tail for the others to follow Oakpelt's lead. The ThunderClan cats all crept through the forest, their paws making no noise on the forest floor. Rowanwind's heart thundered in his chest. Could what Oakpelt have heard be what had killed Stonebreeze?

Oakpelt suddenly paused, staring into the clearing that had been hidden from them by the bush. They all ducked down out of sight and peered into the clearing with horror. Sitting with their backs to the ThunderClan cats were three DarkClan toms, their pelts looking like pieces of the night in the middle of the clearing. And sitting in front of these three toms was none other than Maggotpaw, Frostflower's medicine cat apprentice. Rowanwind wondered what she was doing, and why the DarkClan cats weren't attacking her. His questions were answered a few moments later.

"Do you have any idea how he died?" the DarkClan tom seated directly in front of Maggotpaw asked.

"No," Maggotpaw said, her voice quavering. "I told you, Rowanwind only said that he had a mysterious injury that was a hole."

"Did Rowanwind see the injury himself?" the tom demanded.

"I...I don't know. I think the ShadowClan cats only told him about it," Maggotpaw replied. "I don't think he ever actually saw Stonebreeze."

Rowanwind's stomach dropped to his paws with realization about what Maggotpaw was doing...she was reporting to the DarkClan cats!

"We will have to keep that in consideration. Whatever killed the tom could still be in the forest," one of the other toms said.

The other two DarkClan toms nodded.

"Hopefully it will not hinder our plans of taking over this area," the third DarkClan tom meowed.

"And what of this rogue that they were supposed to be meeting?" the first tom asked, turning back to a quivering Maggotpaw.

"I only know that he knows about you," Maggotpaw said. "And that he wanted to meet the leaders of the four lake Clans on the Gathering island."

Rowanwind wanted to scream. Maggotpaw was giving absolutely everything away to their enemy! Suspicion crept into his mind as he thought about the fact that Clawstar's patrol had been attacked, resulting in the leader losing most of his lives. He'd been wondering how the DarkClan cats had known their leader was going out on patrol...could Maggotpaw have possibly told them? With everything he was seeing here, it was highly likely.

"That is disturbing," the second tom muttered. His voice grew louder. "Do you think the rogue may know too much about us, Crusade?"

"Unlikely," the first tom replied. "We've stayed here too long. We will be back, Maggotpaw..."

Rowanwind felt something touch his shoulder. He turned slightly to see Stormypelt looking at him with the anxiousness of battle in her light blue eyes. With a deep breath, Rowanwind lashed his tail, giving the signal to attack.

With yowls and screeches, Stormypelt, Oakpelt, Crookedfern, Blackcloud, and Cedarspirit charged out from their hiding place. He heard surprised screams from the clearing and watched his warriors chase off the three DarkClan toms. When they had all disappeared through the trees, Rowanwind padded out to find Maggotpaw crouched in the spot she had been sitting before. When she saw Rowanwind, her light brown eyes widened and filled with tears.

"Rowanwind!" she gasped. "I...I can explain!"

Rowanwind hissed at her and pinned her to the ground. Her eyes went even wider. "I'm not the one you need to be explaining things to!" Rowanwind sneered. His anger bubbled through his body. "You're the one who told them about Clawstar going out on patrol, aren't you? That's how they knew when to attack!"

"Yes...but...but..." Maggotpaw stuttered.

"It's your fault that Clawstar is on his last life!" Rowanwind shouted.

He felt someone grab his shoulders with their claws and yank him off of Maggotpaw. Rowanwind spun around with a snarl.

"What do you...?" He stopped when he realized it was Stormypelt.

"Stop it, Rowanwind. You're scaring the fur off of her," Stormypelt meowed. "Did you even stop to think that there might be a good reason behind why Maggotpaw was giving DarkClan information?"

"A good reason?" Rowanwind spat angrily. "There are no excuses for treachery like this, Stormypelt!"

Stormypelt slapped his mouth with her tail. "Stop it, Rowanwind. Let's take her back to camp and let Clawstar deal with her. And stop screaming, you'll scare off all the prey any hunting patrols might catch."

Rowanwind took a deep breath. "Fine. Come on, Maggotpaw."

"The others headed back to camp after we chased off the DarkClan cats," Stormypelt whispered as they walked.

Rowanwind had forced Maggotpaw to walk in front of them, so he could keep an eye on her.

"That's fine," Rowanwind grumbled.

The news must have spread by the time they returned to camp. Most of the ThunderClan cats were outside of their dens and sitting together in whispering groups. When Maggotpaw, Rowanwind, and Stormypelt entered, the camp fell deathly silent.

Clawstar and Frostflower walked over together. Rowanwind noticed the disappointment on Frostflower's face and the calm on Clawstar's.

"Maggotpaw, Rowanwind, come with me," Clawstar meowed. "Frostflower, you may as well come along."

Clawstar led the way to Frostflower's den. Rowanwind thanked StarClan they had no injured or sick cats inside the den today. Clawstar sat down and Frostflower sat next to him. Rowanwind went and sat on Clawstar's other side. All three of them faced Maggotpaw, whose shoulders were hunched.

"Oakpelt and the others told me what happened," Clawstar said. He turned to Rowanwind. "Is it true, Rowanwind? Has Maggotpaw been giving information to DarkClan about things that have been happening in our Clans?"

"It is true," Rowanwind said. His paws tingled. "I heard everything with my own ears. Maggotpaw was telling them everything."

Clawstar's light green eyes closed and he took a deep breath. His eyes opened slowly and he looked at Maggotpaw. Her eyes were full of tears again. "I'm afraid, Maggotpaw, unless you can come up with a very good story as to why you were found giving information to DarkClan, our dreaded _enemies..._I am going to have to exhile you from ThunderClan."

Maggotpaw hung her head. "I...I do have a reason...for...for giving them information." A sob shook her shoulders. "They told me...when they killed my family...and kidnapped my brother...they said that if I were to get into...into one of the Clans and...and gave them inside information they...they wouldn't kill my brother."

Rowanwind remembered her saying, when she had first come to ThunderClan, that her brother had been kidnapped by DarkClan.

"And...and...and now they're going to kill him...kill him for sure!" Maggotpaw sobbed. She lay down and buried her face in her paws. Her shoulders shook with her sobs. "I...I don't want Whisker to...to die! He's all...all I have left!"

"Maggotpaw!" Frostflower went forward and began to lick her apprentice's forehead. "Your brother is not all you have left. You have me. You have ThunderClan. Why didn't you tell us that DarkClan was making you give them information in trade for your brother's life?"

Maggotpaw shook her head. "I...I wasn't supposed to tell! They said...they would...would find out if I told! And then...then they would _kill_ him!"

Frostflower looked at Clawstar. "There must be something we can do, Clawstar," she whispered.

Clawstar's green eyes were blazing with anger. "There is something we can do." Clawstar turned to Rowanwind. "Gingerheart was kidnapped and kept at DarkClan's camp, wasn't she?"

"Yes," Rowanwind replied, wondering where his leader's mind was going.

Clawstar looked back at Frostflower and Maggotpaw. "Then she can lead us to them. It's time we take this war to them! Rowanwind, we will need a few of our strongest warriors for this attack."

"Are you insane?" Rowanwind gasped. "What could we possibly accomplish by attacking DarkClan's camp by ourselves?"

"Oh, we wouldn't be by ourselves, dear Rowanwind!" Clawstar said. "We will bring our allies...because we are going to free all of DarkClan's imprisoned cats!"

* * *

"Are you serious?" Granitetail gaped when Clawstar had gathered the Clan and told them of his plans.

"I am quite serious, Granitetail," Clawstar said. "Gingerheart, please come here."

Gingerheart sheepishly walked forward from where she was sitting beside Thunderstripe.

"You know where DarkClan's camp is, don't you? You spent some time there when you were kidnapped," Clawstar said.

"Yes, but I never thought I'd go back," Gingerheart replied.

"We will need you to be brave, Gingerheart," Clawstar said. "Do you think you can do it?"

Thunderstripe came forward. "I'll go with you, Gingerheart. We can lead the patrol together."

Gingerheart took a deep breath. "Okay, Clawstar. I'll do it."

"Good. Now, we must not be too hard on Maggotpaw. We've learned that the reason she was giving DarkClan information is because her brother was kidnapped by them. They have been blackmailing her, telling her that they will kill her brother if she does not give them the information. That is one of our main goals of this attack: we are going to attempt to free all of the imprisoned cats in DarkClan," Clawstar said.

"Icefur, too?" Rainfur screeched.

Sootpaw scowled at his mother for a moment.

"Yes, even Icefur," Clawstar replied. "He may have betrayed us, but I am sure none of us really think he deserves to be imprisoned.

"Now, we need to discuss who will go and who will stay behind to guard the camp. Rowanwind, I want you to choose two warriors to go with you tomorrow morning to give the news to the other Clans and ask for their help. I know you just went off to tell them all about the rogue wanting to talk to all of the leaders, but this is much more urgent."

"Speaking of the rogue," Rowanwind interrupted. "Oakpelt, can you go and tell RogueClan tomorrow that we are attacking DarkClan?"

"RogueClan?" Clawstar asked Rowanwind as Oakpelt nodded.

"Yes. The rogue turned out to be an old tom named Gloom, who is leading a small group of cats who call themselves RogueClan. Gloom said he was once part of a Clan called MoonClan, which was destroyed by DarkClan. He promised to help us fight against DarkClan until the very end of this war. They are living near the Moonpool now."

"More allies! That is good news, Rowanwind. We will need their extra forces if we want to pull this off," Clawstar said. "And now, I believe I have an idea of who will be going. Oakpelt, Granitetail, Reedclaw, Meadowlark, Mistmeadow, Darkeye, and Silvermoon. Rowanwind, you may go as well to help Gingerheart and Thunderstripe lead the attack. Blackcloud, while they are gone, I want you to help me in the camp. Does anyone object?"

"What about the apprentices?" Oakpelt wondered.

Clawstar shook his head. "No. Attacks on our territory and our camp are enough battles for them. If they are injured without Frostflower around to administer care...we cannot afford to lose any of our apprentices."

"Oh, fox dung!" Stormpaw grumbled.

Purepaw hit the young apprentice on the head with his paw to quiet him.

"Now that it's all settled, we should set up some hunting patrols so that there is enough fresh-kill for the warriors going off to battle tomorrow," Clawstar said, as if Stormpaw had never said anything. "Crookedfern and Thornfur, would you mind taking your apprentices out to hunt? Wetpelt, you can take Lightdew and Twigleaf out to hunt as well."

The cats Clawstar had called got together and went off to hunt as the other cats began to head to their dens and over to the fresh-kill pile.

"I'm going to check on Maggotpaw. I gave her something to calm her down, but I may not have given her enough," Frostflower meowed to Clawstar before padding away.

Clawstar sighed and looked at Rowanwind. "What a tragic life poor Maggotpaw has led, Rowanwind. A poor, tragic life indeed."

"Yes," Rowanwind agreed, watching Frostflower pad away to tend to her apprentice. Guilt was clawing at his belly as he thought of how easily he had jumped to conclusions about Maggotpaw. "Very tragic."

* * *

**End of Chapter Seven**

**Author's Notes:** I really enjoyed writing this chapter because I finally got to reveal the fact that Maggotpaw was giving information to DarkClan. I've been waiting for quite a while to get that out in the open, and now it is finally out. I'm sure Maggotpaw can breath much better now!


	10. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** Great StarClan, I don't own Warriors? Oh, that's right. I don't own the Warriors! However, I'm pretty sure that I own the characters that were made up for this story. (I created them all, you know.) Please don't intentionally steal any of my characters! They are all _very_ precious to me!

**Chapter 8**

_Rowanwind took Crookedfern and Thornfur with him the next morning to go_ to the other Clans to ask for their aid in this attack. When the three reached the ShadowClan border, they stopped and waited for the dawn patrol to pass by. It wasn't long before Rowanwind saw Blackshadow, a long-furred black tom, leading his gray and silver apprentice, Driftpaw, and two ShadowClan warriors, a silver and gray she-cat named Mellowclaw and a ginger she-cat called Honeyshine, along the border.

"ThunderClan cats on the edge of our territory again?" Blackshadow meowed when he and the others stopped. "What in StarClan's name is going on now, Rowanwind?"

"We haven't the time to explain much. ThunderClan is attacking DarkClan's camp to try and rescue their imprisoned cats," Rowanwind said hurriedly. "Tell Crimsonstar if she wants to help us in this battle, she needs to have her warriors meet near the log bridge that leads to the island, just before sunhigh."

The ShadowClan warriors' eyes grew wide. Driftpaw's ears were pricked with astonishment.

"Your Clan is full of mouse-brains!" Driftpaw mewed. "Who ever heard of attacking DarkClan? We barely beat them when _they_ attack _us_!"

"Be quiet!" Blackshadow hissed, cuffing his apprentice with a paw to the head. "You're too young to see their brilliance. An offensive attack has not been done yet, and it will surprise them for sure."

Mellowclaw and Honeyshine glanced at each other with anxiety in their eyes.

"We must hurry," Rowanwind said. "We have to tell the other Clans as well."

"Of course," Blackshadow said. "We'll go tell Crimsonstar right away."

The two groups went their separate ways, Rowanwind and his two companions going back through their territory to get to WindClan. When they got to the other border, Rowanwind decided there was no time to wait for a patrol. He led the way onto WindClan's territory, heading straight for the WindClan camp. They were halfway to the camp when there was a frightened yowl and a long-furred, gray she-cat with a white chest and white paws jumped in front of them.

"ThunderClan cats!" she said. "What are you doing on our territory?"

"We need to speak to the closest warrior, Whitepaw," Rowanwind told the she-cat. "It's very urgent."

Whitepaw's ears perked forward. "I'll fetch my mentor. She should be close by."

A few moments later, Whitepaw came back with Robinclaw, a black and white she-cat whose gray eyes were full of suspicion.

"What is the meaning of this?" Robinclaw demanded.

"No time to explain," Rowanwind said. "ThunderClan is attacking DarkClan's camp today." He told Robinclaw and Whitepaw where Angelstar should send her warriors if she was going to help. "We must continue going. We still need to speak to RiverClan."

Robinclaw nodded. "Good luck."

Rowanwind waved his tail good-bye to the two WindClan cats before leading Crookedfern and Thornfur toward RiverClan. They traveled swiftly along the lakeshore before reaching the swampy area of RiverClan territory. Like they had done in WindClan, they simply strolled through the territory, heading for the camp.

This time, they were stopped outside the camp by Boldstripe, Willowfoot, and their apprentices, Sunpaw and Scorchpaw.

"Rowanwind!" Boldstripe meowed. "What are you doing here? Has something happened in ThunderClan?"

"ThunderClan is attacking DarkClan's camp," Rowanwind replied. "If Featherstar wants to help, tell her that she must send her warriors to meet us near the log bridge that leads to the island, by no later than sunhigh."

"You're attacking DarkClan's camp?" Sunpaw screeched.

Scorchpaw's eyes were wide as his sister yowled.

"We must go. There are some things we need to take care of before the attack," Rowanwind told them, ignoring the frightened apprentices. He gave them a quick nod before leading Crookedfern and Thornfur away.

"That was fast," Thornfur said as they walked back to their own territory along the lakeshore.

"We don't have the luxury to waste time," Rowanwind replied.

"Lighten up a little, Rowanwind," Thornfur meowed. "You're too intense lately. It's no wonder you haven't noticed that Stormypelt likes you!"

Rowanwind stopped in his tracks. "What are you talking about?"

Thornfur and Crookedfern glanced at each other with knowing looks in their eyes. Obviously, the two of them knew something he didn't.

"Never mind," Crookedfern meowed. "It is not the right time to discuss such things. We have an attack to plan."

Rowanwind looked at the two of them suspiciously before beginning to walk again. What in the world did the two old toms know about Stormypelt that he didn't? Was Thornfur right? Did Stormypelt like him the way he liked her? He shook his head as their territory came into view. Crookedfern was right; now was not the time to think of such things. They had a battle to plan.

* * *

Rowanwind looked around at all of the cats gathered on the lakeshore beside the log bridge. Three of the Clans had sent at least eight warriors to fight. ShadowClan had only sent six, but Rowanwind was glad they had sent some at all. Gloom had showed up with Smutty, Coal, and Tiger. When Rowanwind had asked where Beauty and Pidgeon were, Gloom had told him the she-cats had stayed back with Beauty's kits.

"We're ready over here, Rowanwind," Thunderstripe called to him.

Rowanwind nodded to him and scrambled up onto the log bridge. He looked down at all the cats for a few moments before giving a loud yowl. When he'd had a majority of the cats' attention, he began to talk.

"I know this is a bit frightening, going off to attack our enemy in their own territory. But it's time we brought the battle to them, don't you think? They've attacked us on our own territories far too many times! It's time to go on the offensive," Rowanwind said. "Now, in order for each Clan to have an equal say in the matter, I'd like each Clan to pick a representative. If your deputies came, send them to me. We need to discuss the plan of attack."

Rowanwind jumped down and waited as the Clans whispered to each other. It was only a few moments before Graytail, WindClan's deputy, came padding over.

"I haven't seen Burrowgrass or Rapidriver anywhere," Graytail meowed.

"The other Clans must not have sent them," Rowanwind replied.

A few minutes later, Fogpelt of RiverClan and Harmonyfur of ShadowClan came walking over to them from their Clans.

"We're ready to discuss the plan of attack," Harmonyfur said, sitting down in front of the three toms.

"You all know how Gingerheart was kidnapped by DarkClan at one point in time," Rowanwind began. "Well, we are going to use her knowledge of DarkClan's camp to attack them."

Gingerheart and Thunderstripe walked over, Lionstorm not too far behind them.

"Look who's here, Rowanwind!" Gingerheart called. "Lionstorm can help us, as well. He remembers more than I do, I think."

"That's great," Rowanwind said. "What do you think is the best way to go about attacking them, Lionstorm? We want to have the best element of surprise we can manage."

"Well, we were allowed to walk around the camp with escorts sometimes," Lionstorm said. "Their weakest guarded area was on the east side of the camp. I'm pretty sure we could slip in through that side fairly easily. There are only three guards. One of them always sleeps whenever he gets the chance. If we can knock them out quickly enough where they don't sound the alarm, we could manage to get into the heart of the camp."

"What about a distraction?" Gingerheart said, her eyes widening as her mind plotted. "We could send a group to the southern side of the camp. There are about six guards there. When they send up the alarm, the rest of the groups can slip in through the east side while the DarkClan cats are all rushing to the southern side. Then, the rest of the groups could split into two groups. I can lead a group to where the imprisoned are usually kept, and the other group can go and help the others fight the rest of the Clan."

"That's brilliant!" Lionstorm said. "It would be quite an element of surprise. DarkClan think that they are the smartest cats around. They think nobody can outsmart them."

"Well, with a plan like that, we'll certainly show them!" Thunderstripe said. Rowanwind noticed his friend was looking a little edgy and that he kept glancing at Lionstorm. Was his friend still jealous of Lionstorm?

"It just might work," Rowanwind agreed. "Harmonyfur, would you have a problem having ShadowClan attack the northern side?"

"No problem, Rowanwind," Harmonyfur replied. "I see where you are going with this. If only ShadowClan cats attack them on the southern side, they will think that only ShadowClan cats are attacking them. They'll certainly be surprised when other Clans show up from _inside_ their camp!"

Rowanwind nodded. "Exactly. ThunderClan, WindClan, and RiverClan can slip in through the eastern side. We'll have ThunderClan, with Gingerheart in the lead, go and free the imprisoned. I'll go with them, in case I need to use magick to release the imprisoned cats."

"Magick?" Harmonyfur spat. "Is that what it's called when those stupid cats become badgers and crows?"

Rowanwind forgot to breath for a moment as his brain wrapped around what Harmonyfur had just said.

"Rowanwind, what's wrong?" Thunderstripe demanding, seeing his friend floundering for breath.

Rowanwind finally took a deep breath, his mind going dizzy with excitement. "Harmonyfur, you're absolutely genius!"

"What did I say?" Harmonyfur asked quizzically.

"We have an ally in ThunderClan, a cat now named Duskpaw, who was once a DarkClan tom named Switch," Rowanwind explained.

"Switch!" Lionstorm gasped. "So he did take my advice! I told him to go seek out Gingerheart in ThunderClan after Featherstar refused to allow him into RiverClan!"

"That was a very good idea!" Gingerheart purred. She noticed the astonished faces of the other cats. "It's not what you think. Switch is a good cat!"

"He is!" Lionstorm added. "He saved Maplerose's kit, Secretkit, when she was kidnapped by DarkClan. Instead of killing her, Switch saved her and brought her back home! He is truly good; he's nothing like his old Clanmates in DarkClan."

"That's all very enlightening," Rowanwind said. "_Duskpaw_ has been giving me lessons on magick. He told me that not all of the cats in DarkClan can use magick. A few use their magick to transform themselves and other cats who cannot use magick. What Harmonyfur just said about them turning into badgers and crows gave me an idea. _I_ can do the same to our cats! I can turn our own allies into larger, more dangerous animals so they may fight against DarkClan!"

Gingerheart gasped and gave a little leap of excitement. "Yes! Yes! That's absolutely genius!"

"Of course, you wouldn't be able to change any of the ShadowClan cats," Thunderstripe meowed. "They would know immediately that you were around."

Rowanwind nodded. "Good thinking, Thunderstripe. I'll change a few of the RiverClan and WindClan cats before they go off to help the ShadowClan cats in battle."

"I want to go with the ThunderClan cats to free the imprisoned," Lionstorm said. He looked at Gingerheart. "I know exactly what they are going through. I want to be there when they realized that they are free at last."

Gingerheart nodded. "I think that's a good idea. Do you want to bring Cloudpool?"

Lionstorm looked over his shoulder at his white-furred mate, who was talking to her Clanmates, Timberpelt and Nightflower. "I would love to bring her. It will keep her out of any immediate danger."

This comment made Rowanwind think about Stormypelt, and how she was back at camp. He was quite sure that Stormypelt was grumbling because she hadn't been picked to come with them. Did she possibly know how glad he was she hadn't been chosen?

"It's time we told our Clans the plan," Fogpelt meowed. "The longer we decide what to do, the less time we will have until it gets dark to put the plan into action."

Rowanwind nodded. "Then let's get to it."

**End of Chapter Eight**

**Author's Notes:** I know this chapter is a little short, but what more can I do to have them get ready to go battle? The plan has been set, the cats are ready...so it's time for a battle!


	11. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, sadly enough. I guess I can get over it knowing that the characters that were created for this story are _mine_. Please don't intentionally steal them. I've worked hard to create these characters!

**Chapter 9**

Rowanwind, Thunderstripe, and Gingerheart stood at the front of the group. All three had their ears perked for the sound of a cat yowling an alarm. Behind them stood the few cats of ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan who had been chosen to battle today. Rowanwind could smell the fear scent wafting from the cats around him. Nobody knew if this would be a successful rescue; there were so many things that could go wrong.

_Please, StarClan_, Rowanwind pleaded silently. _If you can spare any time to watch over us, now would be a great time_.

The cats all heard sudden yowling in the distance to their left.

Rowanwind waited a few moments before saying, "It's time."

The three Clans, along with the few toms from RogueClan, began to walk toward the eastern edge of DarkClan's camp. They met no DarkClan cats on the way in. All of them could now hear battle screeches coming from their left.

"Ready?" Rowanwind called out, loud enough for all of the cats to hear him. Many of them nodded in response. "Fogpelt, Graytail, you can lead your warriors toward the sounds of fighting."

Fogpelt and Graytail, who were both in the forms of badgers, courteous of Rowanwind, led the RiverClan and WindClan warriors away. Brownclaw followed after them in the form of a large, brown dog.

The ThunderClan cats, as well as Lionstorm, Cloudpool, and the four RogueClan toms, watched the others head off to battle.

"We better hurry," Gingerheart meowed. "We don't know how long we have to get the imprisoned cats out of here."

Rowanwind nodded to Gingerheart and Lionstorm. "Lead the way."

The two cats headed toward the middle of the camp. Rowanwind felt utter awe as he thought about how far Gingerheart and Lionstorm had come from being Twolegs. Here they were, both with mates, leading a group of cats into enemy territory. He wondered what other Twolegs would think if they knew what Gingerheart and Lionstorm were doing.

"Hey!"

The cats skidded to a stop and spun to see a bunch of dark-pelted cats coming toward them. Rowanwind heard Gingerheart and Lionstorm gasp as the group of cats came at them, teeth bared and claws unsheathed.

Rowanwind quickly counted eight cats in the DarkClan group. It was a small number, combared to the sixteen cats they had with them now.

"Rowanwind, we don't have time to fight!" Gingerheart whispered.

The scruffy black tom at the head of the DarkClan group snarled. "Hey! I remember you two! We kidnapped you in the Twolegplace! Somebody told us you'd gotten away, but I didn't believe them until now!"

Rowanwind suddenly realized who these cats were. They were the kittypets that had allied themselves with DarkClan; the very same kittypets who had kidnapped Gingerheart and Lionstorm and brought them to DarkClan's camp.

With his mind thinking quickly, Rowanwind turned to Oakpelt. "You and the others need to battle them. Keep them distracted!"

"No problem, Rowanwind!" Oakpelt replied.

"Thunderstripe, Gingerheart, Lionstorm...come with me!" Rowanwind said.

The four of them broke away from the others and ran in the direction they'd been going before. Lionstorm suddenly looked over his shoulder and shouted, "Cloudpool!"

The white she-cat shoved her way through the other warriors and came rushing after them. In a few moments, she was running beside Lionstorm, her tail streaming out behind her.

"When we get there...we need to release as many...as we can!" Gingerheart shouted as she ran.

"Okay!" Rowanwind called back, dodging around a clump of tall grass.

Before the five of them knew what was happening, a small group of black-pelted cats were in front of them. For a second time, they skidded to a stop to face the new menace. Rowanwind quickly counted four cats; three toms and one she-cat.

"Where do you think you're going?" the black tom at the head of the DarkClan group sneered.

"That's none of your business, Crusade!" Gingerheart spat.

Crusade chuckled. "Ah. The two escapees. Of course. I should have guessed! You're here to release our slaves!"

Thunderstripe hissed.

"Well, we can't have that!" Crusade said. He lashed his tail. "Attack!"

Rowanwind darted around the DarkClan cats and kept going. If his friends could distract the DarkClan cats long enough, he would be able to release the enslaved cats and perhaps get them out of the camp.

He stumbled over something and fell onto his face. His fur bristling, Rowanwind leapt to his paws and looked down at what he had tripped over. It was a long, thick plant substance that reminded Rowanwind of a plant root. He remembered Gingerheart saying she and Lionstorm had been tied up by vines. Could this be a vine?

Rowanwind began to follow the vine. Within a few moments, he came to a clump of thick bushes. His mouth fell open as he stared at the devastation in front of him. The area smelled terrible because of all the rotting food lying around. Cats, some so skinny their ribs showed, were tied with vines to the thickest branches of the bushes. A quick count resulted in Rowanwind finding nine cats tied to the bushes.

"Hey!" Rowanwind whispered, cautiously walking forward.

A few of the cats, mainly the ones who still had some meat on their bones, looked up. Their eyes were as dull as their coats. None of them seemed too interested that a ginger cat was walking up to them.

"Is anyone badly hurt?" Rowanwind asked.

The cats all stared blankly at him.

"Does anyone even understand what I'm saying?" Rowanwind wondered.

A black she-cat with a tattered red collar stood up and looked at Rowanwind with tired, yellow eyes. "We understand you. What are you doing here, alone? Why are they allowing a light demon to walk among them freely?"

"Are you a DarkClan cat?" Rowanwind demanded.

"Do I look like one?" the she-cat spat.

Rowanwind looked at her dull coat and skinny build. "No, you don't."

"I was a kittypet not too long ago," she said. "My name was Josephine. _They_ call me Pretty Lady."

"I'm here to get you all out of here," Rowanwind told Josephine. He looked at the other cats. "Do you think they can make it?"

"Maybe, if we force them," Josephine replied. She turned to the cat she had been lying next to. He was a ginger-brown tom with a white chest and stomach. He had a similar red collar around his neck. "Doodle, come on. Get up. We're leaving."

"Leaving?" the tom laughed hoarsely. "We've tried everything to untie ourselves from these wretched bushes."

Josephine's shoulders slumped. "I forgot." She turned back to Rowanwind. He could see in her eyes that she'd completely given up. "The vines are strange. None of us have been able to break free."

Rowanwind looked at all of the cats. He needed to get them out of here. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Concentrating as hard as he dared, Rowanwind whispered, "Holoeso thom!"

The vines wriggled for a few seconds before untying themselves from the bushes and the cats.

Josephine and Doodle gasped. The other cats began to lift their heads up with interest.

"You..." Josephine looked at Rowanwind. "Did you do that?"

"Yes," Rowanwind replied.

"A light demon who can do what they can?" Josephine shook her head. "Amazing!" She turned to the other cats. "Everyone, get up! This ginger tom has come to rescue us! He's here to save us all! You must get up!"

The cats began to haul themselves to their paws. Rowanwind realized just how bad the situation was. These cats were so thin, it was a wonder that they could even stand at all. How could DarkClan allow these cats to get like this?

"We have to help some of them," Josephine meowed worriedly. "Franklin, Whisker, Casey, come over here please."

Three toms walked over. One was a ginger tom a with white chest, paws, and muzzle and amber eyes. The second tom reminded Rowanwind of Maggotpaw; he was a silver and gray tom with black stripes and amber-brown eyes. The third tom was a white and dark gray patched tom with dark yellow eyes and an orange collar.

"Can you help the others?" Josephine asked. "Whisker, you can help Slick. Franklin, help Neeko. Casey, you can get Jenny. I'll get Rudy."

The three toms nodded and padded off to help the cats that Josephine had named. As they walked away, Josephine turned to Rowanwind.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Rowanwind," he replied.

Josephine paused. "Wow. You are real. We've heard them talk about you before. They're all very surprised that you can do what they do."

"I guessed as much," Rowanwind replied. "We need to hurry. Get them to go as fast as they can. We haven't the time to chat much."

Josephine nodded. She gestured with her tail at a lump of grayish fur. "Can you help him? He's the weakest of us, and you're the strongest. He'll need the most help."

Rowanwind nodded. "Head that way," he said, pointing with his tail. "In a few minutes, we should find my friends battling some DarkClan cats."

Josephine nodded again. "I'll try my best."

Rowanwind padded over to the gray tom. He bent down. "Hey. You need to get up so I can help you get out of here. Can you move?"

The tom raised his dusty head. Rowanwind's eyes met a pair of familiar, yellow eyes. Instead of the usual, angry passion these eyes once held, they were now full of defeat and guilt.

"Icefur!" Rowanwind gasped, his fur bristling with surprise. He'd completely forgotten that he might find the ThunderClan traitor in the group of enslaved cats.

"Hello, Rowanwind," Icefur gasped. His sides heaved with the effort to talk. "How is...my family?"

"We don't have the time to talk, Icefur," Rowanwind whispered. He pressed his shoulder into Icefur and forced him to stand. "Lean on me, and I'll get you out of here. You can see for yourself how your family is."

Icefur didn't reply; he simply let Rowanwind practically carry him along.

Josephine led the way back the way Rowanwind had come. Within a few moments, they came across his friends. Thunderstripe had a tom pinned to the ground, and Gingerheart and Cloudpool were chasing off two other toms. The other DarkClan cats had disappeared. The tom Thunderstripe had pinned kicked Thunderstripe off and ran off.

"Rowanwind!" Thunderstripe said when he turned around. "Is that all of them?"

"Yeah," Rowanwind panted. It was tiring carrying Icefur. "Thunderstripe, come here. I need you to carry Icefur now."

"Icefur?" Thunderstripe padded over. His yellow eyes filled with sorrow when he saw Icefur leaning heavily on Rowanwind.

"He's practically unconscious," Rowanwind said as Thunderstripe took his place.

"I'll take care of him," Thunderstripe promised.

"Let's get going," Rowanwind said, taking the lead again.

He walked back the way they'd come. The group could hear the battle screams coming from the south. Rowanwind wanted badly to go and see how the battle was going, but they needed to get the enslaved cats out of the camp. Making a major decision, Rowanwind turned around to talk to the cats with him.

"We need to get these cats out of the camp," Rowanwind said. He turned to Josephine. "I think practically all of DarkClan is battling at the southern edge right now. We'll take you safely out of the camp, heading east. Once we get you far enough from the camp, we're going to leave you there and then head back here to help fight. If one of us doesn't come to get you by moonhigh, head north across the Thunderpath. You'll find some hills. If you encounter any cats there, ask if they are WindClan. If they say yes, tell them that Rowanwind sent you. Understand?"

Josephine nodded.

"Let's go," Rowanwind said.

Rowanwind, Thunderstripe, Gingerheart, Lionstorm, and Cloudpool helped the once enslaved cats of DarkClan out of the the camp they'd been imprisoned in for StarClan knew how long. Once the weakened cats were safe in a field of tall grass, Rowanwind and his friends headed back.

"Let's go to the southern side," Rowanwind said when they got back to DarkClan's camp.

As they reached the battlefield, Rowanwind heard a baying sound. He turned to see Brownclaw, still in the form of a dog, disappear under about five DarkClan cats. Thinking only of how sad Stormypelt would feel if her brother died, Rowanwind raced to his friend's aid.

"A em e fux!" Rowanwind snarled.

His muzzle grew longer, his teeth turned jagged. His tail became bushy and went white at the tip. His paws turned black.

Rowanwind gave a fox snarl and leapt onto the cats latched onto Brownclaw. He dug his claws into the pelt of a tom and tossed him away. His teeth ripped into the neck of another dark-pelted cat. The other three gave frightened yowls and disappeared.

"Thanks," Brownclaw whined, speaking cat.

"You're welcome," Rowanwind said.

The two split apart to go and fight elsewhere. Rowanwind came up behind a tom fighting against Sapphirestream of WindClan. He clawed at the tom's flanks, making the tom turn away from Sapphirestream. When the tom saw Rowanwind, he gave a leap of terror and raced away. As Rowanwind turned away, he saw Sapphirestream wave her tail at him in thanks.

Rowanwind glanced around the battle. Nearby, two badgers were locked in a dangerous battle. Any cats who got in their way had to scurry to dodge long-clawed swipes and bared teeth. One of the badgers had to be Fogpelt or Graytail. Rowanwind looked around again and spotted Lilyfur of RiverClan being pinned to the ground. He raced to help her, barreling over the tom who was holding her down.

"You!" the tom hissed as he slashed a paw at Rowanwind's face.

"Gore," Rowanwind snarled back.

"Stupid light demon!" Gore shouted. He slashed out another paw with unsheathed claws flashing. Rowanwind dodged out of the way. "You deserve to die!"

"I haven't done anything wrong!" Rowanwind replied. "You're the one who kills without mercy! You're the one who ties up cats and lets them starve to death! You're the one who really deserves death!"

Rowanwind jumped and landed on Gore's shoulders. The tom fell to his side and Rowanwind pressed his body into the dirt. With a snarl, Rowanwind dug his teeth into Gore's shoulder. The tom screeched and writhed beneath him, attempting to get away but failing miserably.

When Rowanwind finally let Gore up, the tom spat and limped away as fast as his newly injured shoulder, which oozed drops of blood, would allow him.

"Good riddance," Rowanwind said, spitting to try and get the horrible taste of the DarkClan tom's blood from his mouth.

He took another look around at the battle. Many of the cats were holding their own against the DarkClan cats. More and more of the DarkClan cats were running away, yowling in terror and defeat. It would soon be time to call a retreat...

Rowanwind suddenly heard a familiar scream. He spun around to see Gingerheart being slammed to the ground by a black tom. Lionstorm suddenly appeared beside Rowanwind.

"Gingerheart!" Lionstorm gasped. A gash above one of his eyes was bleeding badly.

Rowanwind heard another yowl, which cut off suddenly, and turned around to see Cloudpool struggling beneath two DarkClan toms.

"Lionstorm! Cloudpool!" Rowanwind shouted.

Lionstorm turned to see Cloudpool. His eyes widened as he looked back at Gingerheart and then at Cloudpool again. Rowanwind could see his friend struggling to figure out who he should save...

Thunderstripe suddenly appeared beside them. He shouted at Lionstorm, "Save your mate, and I'll save mine!"

Lionstorm gave a fleeting look of thanks at Thunderstripe before rushing to help Cloudpool. Thunderstripe ran to Gingerheart's aid, tackling the tom off of her and rolling away through the dirt. Rowanwind ran over to Gingerheart. There was a deep gash on her shoulder and fur was missing from her flank.

"Rowanwind!" Gingerheart gasped, struggling to stand up.

Rowanwind slapped his tail across her mouth. "Shh. It's okay. Thunderstripe saved you. I think it's time we got out of here."

Gingerheart's eyes filled with worry and she looked around, trying to find Thunderstripe. Her new mate was still scuffling in the dirt nearby with the tom who had been pinning her down.

Rowanwind turned away from Gingerheart. He took a deep breath and shouted, as loud as possible, "This battle is won! Clans of the lake, it is time to go home!"

Waves of silence spread throughout the camp as warriors stopped fighting. A few more DarkClan cats ran away and disappeared. Rowanwind watched as ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and RogueClan cats began to head back in the direction of the lake.

Thunderstripe padded over. "Come on, Gingerheart."

Rowanwind looked around for Lionstorm. He found the tom helping Cloudpool, who was covered in bleeding scratches that soaked her white fur and turned it red. He needed somebody to come with him to fetch the imprisoned cats that they had saved. As he looked around, he spotted Granitetail and Oakpelt padding along, side by side.

"Granitetail! Oakpelt!" he called to them.

The two toms turned and quickly trotted over to join him. Rowanwind was glad to see both only had minor scratches.

"Can you help me get the imprisoned cats we saved back to the island?" Rowanwind asked. "A few of them need help walking."

"Of course we'll help," Oakpelt meowed. "Let's get going, before the DarkClan cats think they can take us again."

Rowanwind, Granitetail, and Oakpelt headed to the east. It took them a few minutes to find the once imprisoned cats, who were all huddling together in the shadows. Darkness had fallen only a little while ago, so it wasn't too cold yet.

"Who's there?" Rowanwind heard Josephine meow.

"It's Rowanwind," he whispered softly. "I've come with some of my Clanmates to take you to our home."

"Your home?" Josephine spat. "What about taking us home?"

Rowanwind sighed. "None of you have the strength right now to make that long of a journey. Come with us. We can feed you until your strength returns. Then you can all go home."

Josephine hesitated before speaking again. "I know you're right. How far is it to where you live?"

"Not far," Rowanwind replied. "We'll have to cross a Thunderpath, but there are always less monsters at night."

The imprisoned cats began to stand once again. Rowanwind looked for Icefur. He was the last cat to stand up.

"How are you doing?" Rowanwind asked the old ThunderClan cat.

Icefur looked at him with lifeless eyes.

Rowanwind sighed. "Granitetail, can you come over here?"

The dark gray tom came over. His white face and paws were the most distinguishable parts of him. The rest of his body practically melted into the shadows.

"Can you help Icefur?" Rowanwind whispered.

Granitetail's yellow eyes widened. "This is Icefur? What _happened_ to him?"

"They starved him, it looks like," Rowanwind answered. "I need to lead the cats in the right direction. Can you help Icefur?"

Granitetail nodded. He crept closer to Icefur. "Hello, Icefur. Do you remember me?"

Icefur looked at Granitetail without replying.

Rowanwind left the two old friends to go and stand at the head of the group. "Follow me, everyone. Keep everyone around you in sight, or someone might get lost."

The group slowly walked through the night. Rowanwind tried to find a path with the fewest trees and bushes to go around. By the time they reached the Thunderpath, the moon was high above the sky. Rowanwind was shocked to realize that the moon was nearly full again; a Gathering would be held in a few days.

Crossing the Thunderpath was stressful, but the cats managed to all get across without anyone getting run down by a monster. Once everyone was across, Rowanwind led them all to the area in front of the log bridge. They found the other Clans waiting for them. When they saw Rowanwind coming toward them with the once imprisoned cats, a chorus of triumphant meows went up. Rowanwind knew they had won this battle, but the war wouldn't be over until he had killed Sly.

**End of Chapter Nine**

**Author's Notes:** I had so much fun writing this chapter. My original plan was to have Rowanwind and a few friends sneak into DarkClan and resue Maggotpaw's brother, Whisker, and nobody else. But then, I got to thinking...why not have them actually _attack_ the camp? It would be so much more interesting to have a battle than to have Rowanwind sneaking around.

I had some kittypet characters created who hadn't been introduced yet, and I was beginning to panic, wondering whether I'd get them into the story at all. Then, a stroke of utter genius came to me when I thought about how few slaves I had for DarkClan. (At the time I was thinking this, the only slaves were Icefur, Whisker, and Beauty's mate, Slick.)

So, I decided now was the time to introduce Josephine, Doodle, and the other kittypets...as slaves of DarkClan! I think it worked out pretty well, if I do say so myself. (And I do!) Josephine, whose character was originally planned out as a docile kittypet, actually turned out to be spunky. Doodle, who was supposed to be the spunky one, turned out to be much quieter than originally planned. He only had one line, for StarClan's sake!

And that's how one very simple idea expanded into this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the chaotic rescue battle. What are DarkClan going to do without their slaves to hunt for them, I wonder? Hmm...


	12. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors. I wish I did, but I don't think I'm brilliant enough to write the work of three ladies (and now four). I am brilliant enough, however, to have created the characters in this story. (Except for maybe Firestar, Yellowfang, and the other original characters who appear to Rowanwind as spirits.) Please don't intentionally steal the characters in this story!

**Chapter 10**

_It was decided that each Clan would take a few of the once imprisoned cats,_ nurse them back to health, and then help them return home. There turned out to be seven kittypets, two rogues, and a lake Clan cat who had been DarkClan slaves. It was quickly decided that Icefur, Whisker, Josephine, and Doodle would be taken care of by ThunderClan. Rudy and Neeko would be going to WindClan, Jenny and Franklin to RiverClan, Casey to ShadowClan, and Slick to RogueClan. Icefur and Whisker were going to ThunderClan because Icefur had once been a ThunderClan cat, and Whisker was Maggotpaw's brother. Slick was going to RogueClan because he was Beauty's mate and Flower's and Flick's father.

Once everything was decided, the cats thanked each other and split up to head home and have their injured warriors and new kittypet charges get patched up by their medicine cats.

"I'm sorry it's such a long way to ThunderClan," Rowanwind told Josephine and Doodle as they dragged themselves across WindClan's territory.

"It's okay," Josephine said tiredly.

When they finally reached ThunderClan's camp, it was very close to sunrise. Rowanwind wasn't too surprised when a stream of ThunderClan cats came rushing out to find out what had happened during the battle.

"We need Frostflower," Rowanwind said. His paws felt numb with tiredness, and he was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

"Whisker! Whisker!"

Rowanwind turned to see Maggotpaw come flying over from the medicine cat den. She nearly skidded into her brother as she went to him.

"Whisker! Whisker! You're alive!" Maggotpaw screamed, rubbing her face slowly against her brother's.

"Maggot?" Whisker blinked.

"I'm Maggotpaw now," Maggotpaw whispered to her brother. She began to look at him. "You're so skinny! You need to eat."

"Not so fast, Maggotpaw," Frostflower said as she padded over. "They need to slowly be introduced to meat again."

"Okay, Frostflower," Maggotpaw said.

That was the last thing Rowanwind heard before his eyes closed and his mind went blank with sleep.

* * *

"Hello, Rowanwind."

He opened his eyes and looked up. A ginger tom with glittering, green eyes was seated next to him. Rowanwind looked around and realized he was lying by the lake. How had he gotten here?

"It's okay," Firestar meowed. "You've been sleeping for some time, and you'll be hungry when you wake up. You did a marvelous job in the battle against DarkClan."

"Thank you," Rowanwind replied.

"Do not think that it is over yet, Rowanwind," Firestar meowed. "The prophecy Stripedpelt gave Frostflower has not yet been fulfilled."

"I know," Rowanwind meowed in response.

"A new friend is coming, Rowanwind. You will want to gain his trust," Firestar said. "Without him, you will fail the prophecy."

"I can't fail the prophecy!" Rowanwind said, struggling to his paws. He could hardly move.

"Don't worry," Firestar said. He was beginning to fade. "A new friend is coming."

"Firestar, wait!" Rowanwind struggled against whatever unseen force was holding him down. "Wait! Come back!"

"Rowanwind, stop! It's just a dream!"

* * *

His eyes flared open, and he looked up to see Frostflower. Someone was pressing on his shoulders and flank. When he turned his head, he saw Thunderstripe and Oakpelt.

"It's okay. You can let me go now," he said.

The two toms stepped back, both looking worriedly at him.

"How are you feeling?" Frostflower wondered of Rowanwind. "You passed out moments after you got back to camp last night."

"Stiff," Rowanwind replied, standing and stretching. "What do you mean I passed out?"

"You fell over," Thunderstripe explained. "Everyone got scared. We all thought you'd died from an injury we couldn't see."

"It took me a few hours to calm everyone down," Frostflower meowed. "They were all quite certain you'd gone to StarClan."

Rowanwind sighed. "What about Icefur and the kittypets? Did you take care of them?"

Frostflower gestured to the back of her den. He could see three figures settled into three different nests. "I have sad news, Rowanwind. Icefur isn't going to make it."

"What?" Rowanwind stared at her, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him.

"I haven't told Rainfur or their kits yet, but they have visited him," Frostflower said with a heavy sigh. "I've tried to feed Icefur, but he refuses. The two kittypets ate whatever I gave them. I'm afraid Icefur is too far gone now for me to save him."

"That can't be. That just can't be. After everything he's been through, he's just going to give up? He's at home again!" Rowanwind said, his voice cracking. He didn't know why he was sticking up so vehemently for a traitor. Was it because Icefur had wanted to join DarkClan, but, instead, he had been made their slave?

"I have a feeling that Icefur is too full of guilt to want to continue living," Frostflower said. "He's given up the will to live. And when a cat has done that, there is nothing I can do to save them."

Rowanwind looked at the skinny figure of the once lively, grouchy ThunderClan warrior. What had caused Icefur to be so grumpy? Why had he always had to question everything that the Clan did? He felt as if it were his fault that Icefur had left; if it hadn't been for him being made a deputy without an apprentice, Icefur would still be that same lively, grouchy cat that Rainfur and their kits loved.

"You'll need to tell Rainfur and their kits," Rowanwind said.

"Rowanwind, don't you dare blame yourself for what has happened to Icefur!" Frostflower meowed. "He made the choice to leave. It was only a matter of time before something we did set him off, and it just so happened to be you being made deputy. You have no right to blame yourself for his actions."

Rowanwind shook his head. "I can't help thinking, if Ashfang hadn't sent that message...Icefur never would have left."

"Yes, he would have," a new voice meowed.

They all turned to see Granitetail padding into the den. Icefur's old best friend looked much older today than he had last night after the battle.

"What do you mean?" Frostflower asked.

"Icefur told me he was thinking of leaving the Clan," Granitetail meowed sadly. "He didn't say where he was planning on going, just that he was going to leave."

"And you didn't tell Clawstar?" Frostflower gaped.

"Clawstar was still deputy at the time," Granitetail replied. "For a while, all Icefur could think about was leaving. I don't think Clan life suited him. But then, Rainfur had their kits. He realized then that he couldn't leave, not when their kits were so young. I thought, because of his kits, Icefur would never talk about leaving again."

"What did he say to you that day he left, when you went chasing after him?" Oakpelt wondered quietly.

"He said to me, 'You see? I've finally left! I'm going to DarkClan, where they'll respect me! I can't live with a Clan who doesn't live up to the warrior code, so I'll go live with a Clan who had no code at all!' I was confused about his logic, but I knew I couldn't change his mind. Not when he was in the act of actually leaving."

Frostflower touched Granitetail's shoulder with her tail-tip. "You were a good friend to him, Granitetail. I'm sure he thanks you for that."

"I heard you say he's not going to make it," Granitetail meowed. "I'd like to tell Rainfur and the kits."

"Of course," Frostflower said. "You may as well tell them now."

Granitetail nodded. He stood and padded back out of the den.

"I have a feeling he is going to blame himself for not talking Icefur out of leaving when he had the chance," Frostflower mewed. She looked over at Icefur's limp body. "I wondered why Stripedpelt was so apologetic when she said that much worse things were coming than an epidemic of greencough. Now I know why."

"It's going to be okay, Frostflower," Thunderstripe said. "We have Rowanwind on our side."

Frostflower laughed. "Yes. We have the extraordinary Rowanwind on our side. I don't know what we would have done without you, Rowanwind."

"We probably wouldn't be here," Oakpelt said.

"You don't have to say things like that," Rowanwind said, feeling hot under his fur. "I've only being doing what I think is right."

"And so humble, too!" Frostflower purred. "Now that you're awake, Rowanwind, why don't you go and have something to eat? Clawstar wanted to speak to you, but I'm sure he'll allow you to eat while he talks."

Rowanwind nodded. He gave a final stretch before padding out of the den. His stomach growled as he padded over to a rather full fresh-kill pile. Clawstar walked over to him as he picked out a squirrel.

"Frostflower said you wanted to speak to me," Rowanwind said around his squirrel. "You don't mind if I eat while we talk?"

"No, I'm sure you're starving after a day like yesterday," Clawstar said. "Let's go over here."

They lay down beneath the Highledge. Rowanwind began to gulp down the squirrel as Clawstar spoke.

"You were very heroic yesterday, Rowanwind. I've gotten many different reports from the cats who went to battle with you yesterday. None of them had any bad words to say about how you handled the situations that arose yesterday. Thunderstripe says you acted quickly whenever danger showed its ugly head. I'm very proud of you, Rowanwind. I'm sure Ashfang would be, too."

"Thank you, Clawstar," Rowanwind said. "I was only doing my best."

"How did Gingerheart and Thunderstripe do leading a battle patrol?" Clawstar wondered.

"Wonderfully," Rowanwind replied. "Gingerheart actually came up with a rather brilliant idea. We had the ShadowClan warriors attack from one side of the camp, while the rest of us snuck in through another side of the camp that had very few guards. The group who snuck in then split up. The RiverClan and WindClan warriors went to help ShadowClan fight, while ThunderClan and RogueClan went to find the imprisoned cats. We ran into a few DarkClan groups along the way, but I was able to slip past them alone and free the slaves. We took the slaves out of the camp and left them somewhere safe before heading back to help battle. Once I realized that the battle was clearly finished, I said that we had won the battle and it was time to leave."

"Oakpelt told me you changed Graytail and Fogpelt into badgers, and Brownclaw into a dog," Clawstar said.

"Yes, I did. Harmonyfur gave me the idea when she commented on the fact that the DarkClan cats turn into badgers and crows," Rowanwind said, gulping down some more of the squirrel.

"It sounds like everything turned out okay," Clawstar meowed. "I'm glad nobody was seriously injured."

"A few minor scratches and some missing fur, but I'm sure everyone got out alive," Rowanwind said with a nod.

"Good. That's all I needed to talk about," Clawstar said. "You may want to find Stormypelt soon. She was quite frantic after you fainted last night."

Rowanwind felt hot under his fur again. Did absolutely everyone in the Clan know that he liked Stormypelt? It couldn't be that obvious, could it?

"I think she went to take a nap in the warriors' den," Clawstar said.

"Thanks," Rowanwind said. He finished off his squirrel before heading over to the warriors' den. When he stepped inside, he found Stormypelt's bright blue eyes looking at him.

"Rowanwind!" the gray she-cat screeched. She flung herself from her nest and nearly knocked him over. "I saw you faint last night, and I was so sure you'd died!"

Rowanwind purred. "I'm okay, Stormypelt. I just spent all my energy yesterday and didn't have any left when I got back to camp."

"Well, you could have tried to at least crawl to the warriors' den first before falling over in the middle of the camp!" Stormypelt pressed herself against him. Her voice grew softer. "I was so scared."

"It's okay," Rowanwind whispered back. "_I'm_ okay."

Stormypelt nodded. "Can we go for a walk?"

"Sure," Rowanwind said. "As long as you promise not to nearly knock me over again. I just ate and my energy isn't all back yet."

They slipped out of the den together and headed for the camp entrance. Rowanwind saw Thunderstripe and Gingerheart, whose shoulder and flank were wrapped up in cobwebs, lying together by the fresh-kill pile. When the two of them saw him with Stormypelt, their faces lit up. He flicked his tail at them in annoyance.

Stormypelt led the way through the forest. They didn't speak, but it was far from silent. Birds chirruped and the wind made the branches of the trees dance in dizzying motions. Rowanwind wasn't really paying attention to where they were going until he saw the lake stretched out in front of them.

"It's so beautiful here," Stormypelt meowed as she sat down.

Rowanwind sat down beside her and glanced at her. "I know what you mean."

"I'm very glad I decided to join ThunderClan," she went on. "I don't think I would have been happy going back to the life of a kittypet."

"You fight too much like a warrior, anyway," Rowanwind joked. "You'd be so territorial that you'd scare the fur off any kittypets who tried to walk on your lawn."

She hit his cheek with her tail-tip. "Very funny, Rowanwind."

"It's true," Rowanwind said, batting at her tail with his paw. "I saw the way you went after those DarkClan cats that Willowsky was battling when we were in RiverClan."

"I was trying to help protect my sister," Stormypelt said. Her blue eyes filled with worry. "Is that wrong? I know the warrior code says I must be loyal to ThunderClan, but I have siblings and a good friend in the other Clans."

"I have good friends in all of the Clans as well," Rowanwind said. "And nobody would doubt my loyalty to ThunderClan."

"That's true," Stormypelt agreed. "But what happens when DarkClan is defeated, and we are no longer allies with the other Clans? What if we're battling one of the other Clans for some reason? I don't want to fight Pineroot, or my siblings."

"We'll just have to pray to StarClan that you won't have to," Rowanwind replied. He pressed his nose to her cheek. "It will be okay. You'll see."

"I really hope so," Stormypelt said. She turned her head slightly to look at him with her beautiful, sky blue eyes. "Rowanwind, I have something I really need to tell you."

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Rowanwind asked.

"No, nothing is wrong," Stormypelt said. She scraped one of her paws in front of them, leaving a trail in the dirt. "It's just really hard to...tell you. Did you know that Pips...I mean, Pineroot...courted me while we were still just kittypets?"

"What?" Rowanwind said with surprise. "Really? Is that why you two are so close? I just thought you were friends..."

"We _are_ just friends," Stormypelt interrupted. "I said no to him. For some reason, I felt like we just weren't...right for each other. Lola was ecstatic when I told her about Pips...er, Pineroot. It took me ages to convince her that I didn't feel the same way for him. How could I have agreed to be his mate, when I was still looking for _you_?"

Rowanwind blinked. "Me? What do you mean?"

Stormypelt cuffed one of his ears with a paw. "You mouse-brain! Haven't you noticed at all? I've seen the way you look at me when you think I'm not looking. You get all nervous whenever you see me. I just happen to hide it better when I see you."

Rowanwind stared at her.

"I love you, Rowanwind," Stormypelt meowed softly. "It's hard not to. You're so kind, hardworking, noble, courageous, humble, and a great mentor and deputy. I love you, you stupid furball."

"I...I..." Rowanwind stuttered, almost disbelieving what was going on. "I love you, too, Stormypelt." He pressed himself up against her and twined his tail around hers. "I love everything about you."

Stormypelt purred and tucked her forehead under his chin. "I was wondering when you'd finally get the courage to tell me. I thought, if he can face his destiny as a cat in a prophecy, he'll eventually get around to telling me. And then you went off and helped lead a patrol against DarkClan, and you still hadn't told me! I decided it was time to take things into my own paws."

Rowanwind laughed. "I guess I'm just not good at this kind of thing."

Stormypelt laughed as well and nudged his chin with her head. "You see cats who have been dead for generations, you fight in battles without so much as a moment's hesitation, and you _can't_ tell a she-cat that you love her? You are so mouse-brained, Rowanwind!"

"Maybe I am," Rowanwind said with a purr.

Stormypelt shook her head. "You are so different with me than you are with everyone else."

"How so?" Rowanwind wondered.

"You're always so stiff when you're being a deputy and a mentor," Stormypelt said. "Thunderstripe told me that when you were an apprentice, you used to have more fun. You joked more back then, he told me. Now, all you do is worry about yourself and your Clan and whether you'll be able to fulfill your prophecy."

"I don't really have the luxury of joking around and having fun," Rowanwind said with a sighed. "I have to make sure the Clan sees that I am doing my job as deputy, especially with Clawstar being injured. If I make a mistake..."

"Not _if_, Rowanwind, _when_," Stormypelt said. "Everyone makes mistakes. It's just a matter of time before something goes bad. And when it does, you can't blame yourself because everyone will know you tried your best to keep something bad from happening. It's just, sometimes, things don't go as you planned. Do you really think I planned on seeing Gingerheart and Lionstorm get kidnapped that day? If I hadn't seen that happen, I don't think I would here today."

"Why wouldn't you be here? You agreed so quickly to help us fight," Rowanwind said.

"Yes, but that was only because I was thinking about watching Gingerheart and Lionstorm get kidnapped by Louie and his gang. I knew they were doing it because of DarkClan, and I wanted to stop it from happening to any more cats," Stormypelt replied.

Rowanwind purred. "That's why I love you so much. You're always thinking about other cats. I do wish you'd think more about yourself, though."

"Why?"

"Because then I wouldn't have to worry quite so much," Rowanwind answered.

Stormypelt laughed. "You really think I can't take care of myself? I'll show you, you big furball!" Stormypelt reared up and pressed her paws against his shoulders. Rowanwind let her push him over. They rolled through the dirt and grass together until they came dangerously close to rolling into the lake. "See? If anybody tries to mess with me, I'll do much worse than that to them!"

Rowanwind stood up and shook the dirt from his pelt. "I can see I was being mouse-brained, thinking you needed to be looked after." He licked her ear. "I'm really glad we finally got this all out, Stormypelt. I didn't realize how much of a weight it was putting on me, keeping it in like I was."

Stormypelt rubbed his cheek with her nose. "I'm glad, too. What do you say to a nice, long hunt? I'm hungry, and the Clan has enough fresh-kill back at camp to feed everybody twice."

"How could I say no?" Rowanwind chuckled.

Side-by-side, the new mates trotted off into the forest to find themselves a meal.

**End of Chapter Ten**

**Author's Notes:** Yay! Finally! I love Stormypelt so much. She's one of my favorite characters. (Probably the reason I had her and Rowanwind fall in love!) I wasn't planning on them telling each other their feelings until later, but I just felt like it was time that Rowanwind pulled his head out of his rear and finally realized that there are more things to life than being deputy, mentoring an apprentice, and taking care of a Clan. Yay for Rowanwind and Stormypelt! :throws confetti:


	13. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of my characters intentionally.

**Chapter 11**

_Rowanwind padded through the forest. Tonight was the night of the Gathering._ He wondered how the other kittypets they had saved from StarClan were doing. Josephine and Doodle were getting stronger each time he went to visit them in Frostflower's den. Icefur, however, was weakening even faster than the kittypets were growing stronger. Every time Rowanwind went to check on the cats, he found Rainfur lying beside her mate. Despite his dislike for Icefur, he felt incredibly sorry for his half sister, Rainfur.

He had barely left the camp, going off for a few minutes to think by himself, when he heard a deafening sound ricochet throughout the entire forest. Birds took off in flocks from the trees above him. A squirrel that had been balancing along a tree branch disappeared into its den. Rowanwind's entire pelt stood on end as his ears gradually stopped ringing.

With a fierce determination, Rowanwind raced in the direction the sound had come from. If he could maybe catch a glance at whatever it was that had made that sound, he could figure out what had killed Stonebreeze! He skidded to a stop and looked around, trying to look for something unusual in the forest. Nothing caught his eye. Had the thing already left?

Rowanwind continued forward more cautiously. He walked around a tree and came across a strange scene. Lying on the ground was a dead thrush. There was a large, blood oozing wound in its body and there were feathers everywhere. Standing above the thrush was a pure white cat. As Rowanwind approached, the white cat looked up at him with dark yellow eyes. The moment their eyes met, the white tom spun around and disappeared right in front of Rowanwind's eyes. It was just like how DarkClan vanished into the shadows, yet how could a pure white tom disappear into the shadows? Duskpaw had said it was easier to become an object close to the cat's pelt color.

"Come back!" Rowanwind called. "I won't hurt you! Are you the one who injured this bird?"

There was no answer. With a sigh, Rowanwind buried the thrush as deep into the dirt as he could. He didn't want any of his cats eating the thrush because he wasn't sure if it was safe to eat, when nobody had any idea what had actually killed the bird in the first place.

He headed back to camp to find the place full of fear scent. The ThunderClan cats were all outside of their dens, whispering to each other.

"Rowanwind!" Stormypelt ran over. "Thank StarClan you're okay. I was out on a hunting patrol, and we heard this strange noise. We ran back to camp as fast as we could, and when somebody told me you'd gone for a walk alone..."

Rowanwind touched her cheek with his nose. "Calm down and breathe, Stormypelt. I'm fine. I have some bad news, though. Whatever killed Stonebreeze is in ThunderClan territory now."

Stormypelt gasped as her blue eyes widened with fear. "Is that what made the terrifying sound?"

Rowanwind nodded. "I found a thrush with a large hole in its body. It looked exactly like how the ShadowClan cats described Stonebreeze's injury. That isn't all, though. When I found the thrush, there was a pure white cat standing over it. When the tom saw me, he turned and vanished."

"Vanished?" Stormypelt blinked.

"You've seen how the DarkClan cats disappear into the shadows by turning into shadows," Rowanwind said. "It was just like that. But it doesn't make any sense because what could a pure white tom turn into? There aren't many white objects in the forest."

"Do you think the white tom was the one who killed Stonebreeze and the thrush?" Stormypelt whispered.

"No, I don't think so. No cat could have created such a devastating injury, even in a bird," Rowanwind said. "Let alone a cat."

"Are you going to tell everyone?" Stormypelt wondered.

"I think it's a good idea," Rowanwind said. "Let me go report to Clawstar first."

Stormypelt twined her tail with his briefly before letting him pad away.

Rowanwind found Clawstar inside Frostflower's den. The kittypets and Icefur were asleep, and Rainfur was nowhere to be found.

"Rowanwind!" Clawstar meowed. "A hunting patrol just came and told me they heard a terrible noise in the forest and that you weren't anywhere in camp."

"I'm fine, Clawstar," Rowanwind said. He told Clawstar everything that he had witnessed, from the sound that had scared the prey all around him, to the white tom standing above the thrush.

Clawstar's green eyes grew worried. "This is bad news, Rowanwind. We need to make sure our warriors know about this."

"Of course," Rowanwind agreed. "Would you like to tell them?"

Clawstar stood and stretched. "Yes. I haven't been out of this den since yesterday morning. I need some fresh air."

The two toms padded out into the camp. Rowanwind wasn't surprised to see that their Clanmates were still whispering to each other in urgent tones.

Clawstar climbed up onto the low rock and yowled the meeting call. It didn't take long for all of the cats to gather around him. The fear scent wafting from his Clanmates nearly overwhelmed Rowanwind.

"I have just been given a report by Rowanwind about the strange noise some of you heard just a little while ago," Clawstar began. "Rowanwind went to investigate and found a thrush with an injury similar to the injury Stonebreeze had that the ShadowClan cats described. In addition to the thrush, Rowanwind saw a white tom on our territory. We are not certain whether he was a rogue or simply a loner.

"In light of all of this, I want every cat to go out with at least two others. Apprentices may not go out alone or with other apprentices; a warrior needs to be with them at all times. Every border and hunting patrol needs to keep a close eye on the forest around them. If we are vigilant and cautious whenever we go out, we may stay out of danger. If any patrols see the white tom that Rowanwind spotted, you have my permission to chase him off our territory. That is all."

Clawstar jumped down from the rock.

Rowanwind followed Clawstar over to the fresh-kill pile. "Do you think that was wise, Clawstar? Shouldn't we question the tom? He may know something about what killed Stonebreeze."

"I don't think so, Rowanwind," Clawstar replied. "No cat could have done such a tragic thing."

"What if he used magick?" Rowanwind demanded, unwilling to give up on the subject. "He used magick to disappear. Who says he couldn't use magick to inflict such injuries?"

"It couldn't have been magick."

Clawstar and Rowanwind turned to see Duskpaw walking up.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help but overhear," Duskpaw said. "But the tom couldn't have used magick to kill Stonebreeze and the thrush you found, Rowanwind. Magick doesn't make noise like that. I should know, since I've been around magick all of my life."

"I have to take Duskpaw's word, Rowanwind. It's not that I don't trust you. I'm very happy you've taken such an interest in finding out what is in the forest. But there is nothing we can do about it right now," Clawstar said. "We have a Gathering to worry about tonight. DarkClan may try and attack us again. It's been so long since their deadline to surrender that I'm beginning to think we're finally tiring them out. I want us to be ready in case they decide to attack tonight."

Rowanwind nodded. "I understand, Clawstar. Have you decided who will be going to the Gathering with us?"

With a quick nod, Duskpaw padded away to leave his new leader and deputy in peace so they could talk.

"I don't want any of the apprentices to come," Clawstar said in response to Rowanwind's question. "We could run into whatever killed Stonebreeze."

"I hope that doesn't happen," Rowanwind said.

Clawstar nodded. "I've decided to bring Oakpelt, Thornfur, Cedarspirit, Mistmeadow, and Silvermoon."

"I will go tell them," Rowanwind said. He turned to go, but stopped and looked at Clawstar again. "Has Frostflower given you permission to attend the Gathering this time?"

Clawstar nodded. "Much has happened to us since the last Gathering. Cottonbrave's and Dapplefoot's deaths...the attack on DarkClan's camp...we've allied ourselves with RogueClan...we have a new warrior and a new apprentice..."

Rowanwind stopped Clawstar from going on. "Yes. So much has happened in a single moon. Sometimes I feel as if my mind hasn't quite caught up yet."

"I am just glad that you have not had to take over my position during a Gathering," Clawstar said. "You have already been through enough." Clawstar sighed. "You may go and tell those who I have chosen to go to the Gathering. I'm starting to feel weak again."

"Are you sure you'll be able to attend the Gathering tonight?" Rowanwind asked cautiously. "I don't want you going if you're only going to faint."

"I'm fine. I just need to rest," Clawstar said. He gestured with his tail for Rowanwind to go on. "Go on."

Rowanwind gave a final nod before padding away to find the cats that Clawstar had chosen for the Gathering. He sent a silent prayer to StarClan, asking them to give his leader enough strength to attend the Gathering tonight.

* * *

That night, Rowanwind followed Clawstar out of ThunderClan's camp and through the forest. It was the first time Clawstar had been out into the forest since he'd been attacked by DarkClan. Rowanwind could see the caution in Clawstar's eyes as they padded through the darkness, which was only partially illuminated by a full moon that hung forlornly in the starry sky above them.

It didn't take long for them to reach the log. Rowanwind was afraid that Clawstar wouldn't be able to make it across the bridge, but Clawstar's eyes filled with determination and the ThunderClan leader easily hoisted himself up and over to the other shore. Rowanwind followed close behind, just in case Clawstar's strength gave out.

Rowanwind felt like it was merely seconds later that Crimsonstar gave the yowl to start the meeting.

Angelstar had returned, looking fully healed and happy to be back. She reported first, giving the good news that Nightpaw had been given the warrior name Nightstripe and that Flowerpool and Sunnystripe's kits had become apprentices and were being mentored by Rumbleclaw, Brownclaw, and Sunnystripe. Rowanwind couldn't wait to tell Stormypelt that her brother, Brownclaw, had his first apprentice!

Crimsonstar went next. She reported that Silkpaw and Furypaw had been made warriors and were now named Silkfur and Furyclaw. The ShadowClan leader was also happy to report that Mellowclaw and Duskcloud were having kits again, and Harmonyfur and Burrowgrass were expecting as well.

Featherstar reported that her son, Ashpaw, had been given the warrior name Ashwhisker. Hazelsweet and Splinterclaw's kits, now Jollypaw and Peachpaw, were being mentored by Timberpelt and Lionstorm. Rowanwind knew that Gingerheart would be very happy to hear that Lionstorm was a mentor.

Clawstar went last. "I am happy to announce that Oakpelt's and Snowcloud's kit, Stormkit, is now Stormpaw. He is being mentored by Thornfur. I also have some happy news about one of our she-cats. Quickpelt revealed that she is having kits, and we are all delighted that Sprucebark gave ThunderClan a final gift before he passed on to StarClan.

"On a darker side, as many of you already know, I was attacked by DarkClan while on a patrol. It has taken me some time to recover, but I'm on the mend and feeling like my old self again. I'm sad to report that two of ThunderClan's members died trying to protect me. Dapplefoot and Cottonpaw, who was given the warrior name Cottonbrave moments before he died, are missed deeply. Cottonbrave's brother, Silverpaw, was given the name Silvermoon in reward for warning the camp that we were under attack. There is not much else to report in ThunderClan.

"I do want to thank all of the other Clans, however, for helping us to rescue the cats who were imprisoned by DarkClan. One of our own members, Icefur, was enslaved by them, and he has been returned home safely."

The meeting was soon over. Rowanwind kept looking into the dark shadows, but no voices called out and no glowing eyes appeared. Had DarkClan given up trying to attack them during Gatherings? Perhaps they had realized that the Clan cats were much stronger together during the Gatherings.

"That meeting went well," Clawstar meowed to Rowanwind as they padded around the lake back toward their own territory.

"Yes. There were no signs of DarkClan at all," Rowanwind agreed. "I wonder if they've finally realized they cannot win against us by fighting us during Gatherings?"

"Maybe," Clawstar said. "But I would not put it past them to trick us into thinking so. We have to be extra cautious with DarkClan. They are formidable enemies."

They were back on ThunderClan territory when they heard the screeches. Rowanwind's pelt immediately bristled with alarm. The sounds were coming from their camp!

* * *

The cats who had gone to the Gathering raced through the trees toward their camp. Rowanwind's heart thundered in his chest as he worried about everyone left back in camp. Thunderstripe...Gingerheart...Stormypelt...his pregnant mother...everyone he loved and cared about the most was in camp!

It was a surprise to see the tunnel entrance still intact. Most raids on their camp resulted in the tunnel entrance being crushed beneath the paws of DarkClan cats in the form of badgers. Had they decided not to use badgers this time?

They ran through the tunnel with Clawstar and Rowanwind in the lead. When they reached the inside of their camp, the cats were shocked to find the place in utter chaos. Everywhere they looked there were cats fighting crows. Black feathers that shown silver in the moonlight were strewn all over. Battle cries from the cats echoed alongside the terrifying caws of the crows.

Rowanwind heard a scream from the nursery and rushed over to the thorny bush that hid the queens and their kits. In the entrance to the tunnel was Quickleaf, one of the elders. Her gray pelt was bristled, making her look twice as big as normal.

As Rowanwind ran, he saw Quickleaf launch herself at an enormous crow that was attempting to get into the nursery. Quickleaf's claws clung to the crow's chest. Her back paws raked out feathers from the crow's belly. The crow cawed and flapped its wings. Quickleaf dug her teeth into the crow's neck, but she couldn't get a good enough grip. Before Rowanwind could reach her to help, two other crows flew over and dug their talons into Quickleaf's back. There were two loud cracks that reverbrated in the air. With a final scream, Quickleaf fell from the crow she'd been attacking and landed on the ground with her body splayed out at odd angles. The two crows that had snapped her spine began to peck at her face.

With a feral screech, Rowanwind propelled himself at the two crows. Taken by surprise, they flew off after the crow that Quickleaf had been fighting.

"Quickleaf!" Rowanwind turned to her, his eyes rapidly looking her over. It took a few moments for his brain to register that Quickleaf was beyond help. The ornery, old elder had died saving the queens and kits from DarkClan.

"We're done here! DarkClan, retreat!" a voice cawed.

Rowanwind barely noticed as the crows flew up and out of the camp. He sat beside Quickleaf's body, head hanging and sides heaving. He'd been too late to save her...

"Rowanwind."

He looked up suddenly. Quickleaf was standing nearby, her pelt shimmering and see-through. The hope that had flared in his chest for a moment diminished. Quickleaf wasn't coming back to life; he was simply hearing her spirit.

"I don't blame you, Rowanwind," Quickleaf said in her creaky voice. Her voice grew stronger and younger. She began to walk up into the sky. "It was my time to go. I died saving the queens and kits from DarkClan. Let me go to StarClan knowing that."

Rowanwind watched the elderly cat leave this world and disappear into the world of StarClan. Why did so many cats have to die? He looked around the camp at all of his Clanmates, many of whom were now nursing injuries inflicted by the DarkClan cats.

How many more of his Clanmates were going to die before DarkClan was defeated?

**End of Chapter Eleven**


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Dislcaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of my characters intentionally.

**Chapter 12**

_Rowanwind woke a few days later with rays of bright sunlight in his eyes_. He lifted his head and blinked against the light.

"Are you feeling better?"

He twitched his ears and turned to see Thunderstripe sitting nearby. His friend purred lightly in laughter.

"Clawstar thought you needed a break today. Granitetail is taking over your duties for today. Is that okay?"

Still feeling groggy, Rowanwind stood up and stretched. He gave a wide yawn before answering. "That is beyond okay, Thunderstripe. I feel like I haven't slept in moons."

"I'm sure you aren't the only one who feels that way," Thunderstripe said. "What would you like to do today? Gingerheart and I were thinking of going out and just taking a long walk in the forest. Stormypelt can come with us once she's finished her sunhigh patrol with Thornfur and Stormpaw."

"A long walk sounds wonderful," Rowanwind replied. "As long as we get to rest along the way."

"Of course," Thunderstripe meowed. "Are you hungry? Two hunting patrols just got back. The fresh-kill pile is the fullest I've seen in it in a long time."

"Excellent. The queens, kits, and elders have all been fed already, right? And the cats under Frostflower's care?"

"You worry too much, Rowanwind. They've all been fed," Thunderstripe answered. He rose up onto his hind paws and shoved Rowanwind in the shoulder with his forepaws. "Now stop worrying and get up, you lazy furball!"

Rowanwind stumbled out of his nest. "Okay, okay! I'm up!"

The two friends padded out of the warriors den and into a brilliantly lit camp. The sun was shining down on them, unhindered by any clouds today. Rowanwind stretched again, feeling the sun warm his ginger pelt.

"Stop showing off," Thunderstripe said with a laugh.

Rowanwind hit his friend's shoulder with his tail before trotting over to the fresh-kill pile. He chose a squirrel from the pile and lay down to eat.

Gingerheart came over a few moments later with Mistmeadow and Silvermoon.

"How do you like my catch, Rowanwind?" Gingerheart asked with a flick of her whiskers.

"You should have seen her chase that squirrel," Mistmeadow said. "It didn't have a chance with Gingerheart after it!"

"Of course, she did happen to scare off the mouse I was after," Darkeye said as he and Cloverpelt came over.

"I told you I was sorry!" Gingerheart mewed loudly.

"Don't let him bother you, Gingerheart," Cloverpelt meowed, winding her tail with Darkeye's tail. "He's just trying to get you to feel guilty about something you didn't mean to do. He can be devious that way."

"Oh, yes!" Thunderstripe meowed with a huge laugh. "That's Darkeye for you!"

"What is going on over here?" Stormypelt asked as she came over with Thornfur and Stormpaw close behind her. "Is there nothing you could all be doing right now?"

"Not really," Darkeye said. "The fresh-kill pile is full...you just got back from a borer patrol. What else is there to do?"

"You could be checking to make sure our camp is still secure!"

Their heads all turned at the sound of Granitetail's voice. The tom was trotting over from where he'd been sitting chatting with Crookedfern and Meadowlark.

"We did that yesterday with the apprentices, Granitetail," Mistmeadow said.

"Then you can do it again," Granitetail said. "One of the hunting patrols chased a rabbit over the edge of the gorge earlier this morning. Now there's a huge gap in the bushes. No cat will get tricked if they can see what they're heading toward!"

"That was my fault," Silvermoon said. "I'll go take care of it."

"I'll go with you!" Mistmeadow said immediately.

Granitetail turned to Rowanwind as Silvermoon and Mistmeadow walked away. "Clawstar doesn't want you to worry about anything today, Rowanwind. To avoid any stress, it would be best if you left camp. You may want to stay away from the training area as well. Most of the mentors are going to be bringing their apprentices there for training today."

"I can see that ThunderClan is safe with you in control, Granitetail," Rowanwind said. "I know that I won't have to worry about anything with you here."

Granitetail nodded his thanks. "I need to go finish speaking with Crookedfern and Meadowlark about their border patrol tonight."

"Lucky you, Rowanwind," Darkeye said. "I'm on that border patrol with Crookedfern and Meadowlark tonight. If Granitetail is talking to them, I might have my work cut out for me tonight."

"You're young and healthy," Cloverpelt reminded him. "Crookedfern and Meadowlark are getting close to being elders. They don't have the same stamina as you do. Go easy with your complaining when you're with them tonight!" The she-cat stood up and began to head to the nursery.

"Hey, wait up!" Darkeye called, chasing after her.

"Are they together yet?" Gingerheart meowed to Thunderstripe once Darkeye and Cloverpelt were gone.

"If not, I'm sure it won't be much longer," Stormypelt said.

"The same with Silvermoon and Mistmeadow," Gingerheart added.

"What are you two she-cats gossiping about?" Rowanwind asked.

Stormypelt and Gingerheart laughed.

"Come on, Rowanwind. Today is your day off! You don't need to worry yourself over what we're gossiping about," Stormypelt said. "Are we going on a walk today or not?"

"Yes, we are," Rowanwind replied.

"Then let's go!"

* * *

"This is so peaceful," Stormypelt meowed, looking out over the lake. The sun was setting and the light cast a long line of gold across the surface of the water.

"It's difficult right now to think that we're at war," Thunderstripe said with a sigh. "Oops. Sorry, Rowanwind. I forgot. We aren't supposed to let you worry about anything today."

"I forgive you," Rowanwind said. He stretched and rolled over onto his other side. A few leaves stuck to his pelt. He stood up and shook them from his fur. "Besides, it's always best to have that thought in the back of my mind. It wouldn't be good to totally forget about reality."

"Yes," Gingerheart meowed softly. "But what exactly is reality?"

Thunderstripe looked worriedly at his mate. He touched her shoulder with his tail-tip. "What's bothering you, Gingerheart?"

"I was just wondering what my life would have been like if I had never come here," Gingerheart said with a heavy sigh.

"Why are you wondering that?" Stormypelt wanted to know.

"I was just thinking that I could have made a big difference in the world if I hadn't come here," Gingerheart continued. She looked at the three of them. "But I have to remind myself that I'm making a big difference here. If I'd never come here, and I had made a difference to the world...it would have had less meaning. Am I making any sense?"

"You're making perfect sense," Thunderstripe assured her. "Being here, you made a big difference. And you've seen the differences you've brought here. That wasn't something you could have seen otherwise."

"I'm glad that..."

Gingerheart was cut off by a sudden, loud noise that echoed through the forest. Flocks of birds flew into the air. The four ThunderClan cats were all on their feet in seconds. Their fur bristled with fear as their wide eyes scanned the forest.

"Come on!" Rowanwind shouted once his ears had finished ringing. "We have to make sure nobody is hurt!"

The four raced into the forest, heading in the direction the sound had come from. Rowanwind heard yowling suddenly. Was that one of ThunderClan's cats? Minutes later, the four of them flung themselves through some bushes and skidded to a stop to one of the most frightening scenes Rowanwind had ever seen.

Rainfur and one of her daughters, Nimblepaw, were standing beside Snowcloud's lifeless, bloody body. Standing in front of them were two, very tall Twolegs. The Twolegs had thrushes and rabbits dangling from their shoulders. It was clear that they were talking to each other because they were gesturing wildly at the cats in front of them.

"They don't know what to do," Gingerheart said. Her voice was shaking. "The one with the lighter hair wants to take Snowcloud's body. The one with the darker hair thinks they should leave. What is the use of having a dead cat?"

The one with the lighter fur on his head suddenly reached down to grab Snowcloud's body. Rainfur and Nimblepaw suddenly screeched and the Twoleg pulled his hand back.

"I told you to leave the cat alone! Those other two won't let us near it, anyway!" Gingerheart continued.

Stormypelt was staring at Gingerheart. The she-cat knew that Gingerheart had once been a Twoleg, but she had never known Gingerheart could still understand Twolegs.

"What do we do?" Thunderstripe mewed.

"Attack!" Rowanwind replied with a hiss. Without thinking, he ran at the Twolegs with a yowl.

The Twolegs turned around. Both of them began bellowing as they ran off into the forest. Gingerheart sneered at them as they disappeared.

"Rowanwind!" Rainfur screamed, her voice full of anguish. "Snowcloud!"

Rowanwind looked over Snowcloud's body. A large, oozing wound was in her side. Her face was frozen in a look of total shock. Her white fur was completely covered in blood. Rainfur's muzzle was red with it, as well. Rowanwind guessed his half-sister had nudged Snowcloud, trying to get her to respond. But it was too late for Snowcloud. He glanced around but did not see Snowcloud's spirit sitting close by. She had already passed on to StarClan.

"Rainfur, take Nimblepaw back to camp," Rowanwind ordered. "Have them send some warriors back to help take Snowcloud back to camp."

Without any questions, Rainfur and Nimblepaw headed back to camp.

Gingerheart walked over. Her fur was still bristled and her eyes wide. She looked Snowcloud's body up and down. "Poachers," she whispered.

"What?" Rowanwind turned to her.

"Poachers did this." Gingerheart shook her head. "I should have guessed! I've heard the descriptions of the injuries! I never put two and two together..."

"Gingerheart!" Rowanwind shouted, making her jump. "What are you talking about? Do you know those Twolegs?"

"No," Gingerheart whispered. "But I know what killed Snowcloud and all of the other animals found dead in the forest."

"What killed them?" Stormypelt demanded to know.

"A gun."

"What's a gun?" Thunderstripe mewed.

"A machine, created by humans. Hunters and poachers use them to kill animals. Twolegs don't have teeth and claws like we do, so they use guns," Gingerheart explained. She shook her head. "Poachers shouldn't be here. The areas around the lake are protected because people live here and vacation here."

"You're starting to not make sense, Gingerheart," Rowanwind said.

Gingerheart turned her head toward Rowanwind. Her brown eyes were full of determination. "I need to speak to Duskpaw."

"Why?" Thunderstripe stared at Gingerheart.

Gingerheart stood up. "There is only one way to stop the poachers. Someone needs to report them. And the only way I can do that is if I'm human."

"What?" Thunderstripe yelped. "You can't, Gingerheart!"

"Why not, Thunderstripe?" Gingerheart demanded, looking at her mate. "Duskpaw can make me into a human again. I can stop this from happening! It's the only way to prevent more cats from dying!"

"But...what if you don't come back?" Thunderstripe said, his voice cracking.

"Is that what you're worried about?" Gingerheart rushed to Thunderstripe and put her head under his chin. "How many times do I have to tell you? This is my home! I couldn't stay away from here for very long...I couldn't stay away from you. It would kill me."

Thunderstripe touched her cheek with his nose. "You promise you will come back? I won't let you go unless you promise."

"I promise!" Gingerheart replied immediately. She stepped back from Thunderstripe and looked at Rowanwind. "Do I have your permission?"

Rowanwind nodded. "I know that it's the only way to stop any more from dying. Good luck, Gingerheart. Try and be back as soon as possible. Don't let anyone else other than Duskpaw see you until you get back."

Gingerheart nodded back once before pressing herself to Thunderstripe again. "I love you, Thunderstripe. Don't forget that."

"I love you, too. Don't forget to come back, Gingerheart," Thunderstripe replied.

Gingerheart disappeared into the bushes just before Oakpelt, Stormypaw, Granitetail, and Blackcloud came crashing through the bushes.

"Snowcloud!" Oakpelt screamed, throwing himself down beside his mate. "Snowcloud, answer me! You can't be gone!"

"No!" Stormpaw cried out. "No! No!"

"Why did you let them come?" Rowanwind whispered to Granitetail.

"They refused to stay behind," Granitetail replied quietly.

Rowanwind sighed. "Stormypelt, please take Stormpaw back to camp. Granitetail, Blackcloud, Thunderstripe...please take Snowcloud back to camp. I need to speak to Oakpelt."

The other cats did as he asked without a word. Oakpelt and Stormpaw's sobs were the only sounds in the clearing.

Rowanwind pushed Oakpelt to his feet and continued to push him until Snowcloud and the other ThunderClan cats were gone from view.

"It's all my fault, Rowanwind!" Oakpelt screamed. His sobs had gone. Rowanwind was shocked to see the crazed look in Oakpelt's yellow eyes. "It's all my fault!"

"What is all your fault?"

"Snowcloud is dead because of me!" Oakpelt began to breath heavily. His sides heaved. "StarClan killed her to punish me! I should never have had an affair with Maplerose!"

"That is completely mouse-brained, Oakpelt!" Rowanwind said. "Your affair with Maplerose had..."

"They are punishing me because Maplerose had my kits!" Oakpelt shouted. "If I had never been more than friends with Maplerose, Snowcloud would still be here! Coldkit will never know that I'm his father! StarClan is punishing everyone I care about!"

Rowanwind heard a gasp. He turned to see Twigleaf standing nearby. The she-cat's yellow eyes were open wide as she stared at Oakpelt, who continued babbling on about StarClan punishing him. He was saying something now about Secretkit being kidnapped by DarkClan because StarClan wanted him to suffer with the knowledge.

"Twigleaf!" Rowanwind shouted.

The she-cat stared at him for a moment before turning and disappearing into the forest.

"Fox dung!" Rowanwind sneered.

He felt a dark rage grow inside him. He turned rigidly and knocked Oakpelt to his side. Oakpelt cried out and stared up at Rowanwind.

"Stop your babbling! Snowcloud is gone and it wasn't because of anything you did! StarClan has no control over what killed Snowcloud! Believe me! Gingerheart is our only hope right now. She knows how to stop what is killing cats and birds and rabbits in the territories around the lake! You just revealed to Twigleaf that you had an affair with Maplerose and that Coldkit is your son!"

A shiver ran from Oakpelt's nose to his tail-tip. "Oh, no. What have I done? Rowanwind, you must help me! I must...I must..."

"You must go back to camp and face the consequences!" Rowanwind interrupted. "The entire camp will know what you have done by the time we get back."

"Oh, no." Oakpelt said with another shiver. "I can't...I can't do it, Rowanwind! Clawstar will...he will..."

"What Clawstar will do is give you the punishment he thinks you deserve," Rowanwind hissed. "I've kept this secret for you, Oakpelt. But now that it is out, I cannot help you any longer. You may be my half-brother, but I am loyal to my leader. Whatever decision Clawstar makes, I will be behind him. Now, come on. It's better we get there before our Clanmates begin to think too many wrong things."

Oakpelt heaved himself to his feet. "You're right, Rowanwind. I couldn't ask you to help me anymore when you've already done so much for me. Thank you."

With that, the two half-brothers headed back to ThunderClan's camp.

**End of Chapter Twelve**


	15. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of my characters intentionally.

**Chapter 13**

_"Is it true, Rowanwind?" Clawstar meowed with acid in his voice. His green_ eyes were ablaze with anger.

"I think it's best if we discussed this with Oakpelt in private," Rowanwind replied, his voice icy.

Most of the other ThunderClan cats were glaring at Oakpelt and Rowanwind. Rowanwind saw Thunderstripe and Stormypelt looking at him with astonishment. The kits and apprentices all looked very confused.

"We'll speak in Frostflower's den, then." Clawstar stood. He gestured with his tail for all of the other cats, including Frostflower, to stay out of the medicine cat's den. The ThunderClan leader led Rowanwind and Oakpelt into the den without another word.

"Thank you for allowing us to..." Rowanwind began, but Clawstar disrupted him.

"Don't thank me for anything, Rowanwind. I'm very disappointed, and shocked, over what you have done. Twigleaf said that Oakpelt was talking to you about his affair with a RiverClan cat, and you seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. How could you possibly keep a secret like that from your Clan? Oakpelt, how could you even ask him to keep that secret for you?" Clawstar's voice was full of gloom. "I know that you share the same father, and I regret to say that Sprucebark would be very humiliated by the two of you."

"Clawstar, please, let me..." Rowanwind started, but Clawstar interrupted again.

"Explain? Rowanwind, what is there to explain? Oakpelt has had kits with a cat from another Clan! And to think, you actually brought the half-Clan cat here with you! You lied to us and made us think Coldkit was an orphan!" Clawstar shook his head roughly. "There is nothing to explain here, Rowanwind."

"Will you let him speak?" Oakpelt demanded. He cringed, looking just as surprised with himself as Rowanwind and Clawstar were. "I was mouse-brained to think that this secret would remain a secret until I went up to StarClan. I was mouse-brained to ask Rowanwind to not tell anyone. None of this is Rowanwind's fault. He is one of the best deputies that ThunderClan has ever seen. And I'll stop at nothing to make you see that this is all my fault! So, stop yelling at Rowanwind and punish me as you see fit. I will take it, knowing that I deserve it!"

Clawstar stared at Oakpelt. He glanced at Rowanwind. "Speak, Rowanwind."

Rowanwind gave a respectful nod to his leader. "I kept Oakpelt's secret for reasons that not even I understand, Clawstar. But I refuse to allow myself to be associated with his misdeeds any longer. I won't go against whatever punishment you give him. Oakpelt knows that I am no longer here to help him."

"This is tragic news to learn of after something so horrendous as Snowcloud's death," Clawstar meowed. He turned his softened green eyes on Oakpelt once again. "I know that Snowcloud's death has affected you even more than the rest of us, Oakpelt. Her death is punishment enough, in my eyes.

"But know this, Oakpelt. I cannot control the rest of my Clan from treating you differently from now on. They've all learned of your betrayal of not only your Clan, but your mate as well. In their eyes, you are no longer someone to be trusted. It is hard to say whether any of them will ever trust you again. Trust is something gained, and when it is lost, it cannot be gained back as easily as before. I feel sorry for you, Oakpelt. That is the only thing keeping me from exiling you from ThunderClan."

Clawstar paused for a few moments before looking at Rowanwind again. "We all make mistakes, Rowanwind. I've made many in my long life. But this is one of your worst mistakes. I know how loyal you are to your Clan. It's difficult when you are torn between family and your Clan. But you have made the right decision. I'm sorry this had to happen to you, but life can be like that sometimes. I can only hope you make better decisions in the near future."

"I will, Clawstar," Rowanwind whispered.

"Then I will go and speak to the Clan. I can make no guarantees," Clawstar meowed. He stood and padded out of the den.

Rowanwind hung his head between his shoulders and turned his back to Oakpelt. "I'm sorry it had to end up like this, Oakpelt."

"It's okay, Rowanwind. I don't blame you," Oakpelt replied quietly. "I was just hoping that this wouldn't get out so soon. Now, Coldkit is going to grow up shunned by the Clan who took him in. I never wanted that for my son."

"Then you should have thought about that before you had an affair with a cat from another Clan," Rowanwind said. Not wanting to say anything else, he stood and left the den.

"...death is punishment enough. As for Rowanwind, his decision to keep Oakpelt's secret was a big mistake and..."

Rowanwind stopped listening to Clawstar's speech. He simply sat down outside Frostflower's den and stared up at the stars sparkling in the night sky.

"I can't believe you!"

Rowanwind jumped and looked around. He hadn't realized it, but Oakpelt had come out of the medicine cat's den. Stormpaw was standing in front of his father a few fox lengths away from Rowanwind. The young apprentice's fur was standing up straight and his lips were curled back in a hiss.

"I hate you!" Stormpaw continued to shout. "You betrayed Snowcloud! You betrayed your Clan! You betrayed _me_!"

"Stormpaw..." Oakpelt said, his voice faltering.

"I hate you! You don't deserve to stay in ThunderClan!" Stormpaw screamed. His shoulders began to shake with sobs.

"Stormpaw..." Oakpelt tried again.

"That's enough, Oakpelt." Quickpelt padded over and put her tail around Stormpaw's shaking shoulders. "He doesn't need this right now."

Oakpelt opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. He simply nodded, turned away, and disappeared out of the entrance to the camp.

"Shouldn't someone go after him?" Granitetail said from where he sat with some of the senior warriors.

"No," Rowanwind replied. "Oakpelt will be fine by himself."

Quickpelt gave Rowanwind a sympathetic look before leading Stormpaw over to the apprentices' den.

Rowanwind glanced up at the night sky and sent StarClan a prayer.

_Please, keep Oakpelt safe. He may have done some awful things, but Stormpaw doesn't deserve to have both his parents die..._

* * *

The next morning, Rowanwind walked over to where Thunderstripe was lying in the morning sun. "Thunderstripe, would you like to take Palepaw and go hunting with us? Purepaw and I were going to go out right now," Rowanwind said. "If you don't want to, I can find someone else."

Palepaw looked pleadingly at her mentor.

Thunderstripe chuckled at her. "I couldn't say no to that. The fresh-kill pile was looking awfully low to me."

"Yay!" Palepaw jumped excitedly. "Race you to the exit, Purepaw!"

The two apprentices raced off. Rowanwind watched them scamper toward the winding tunnel entrance.

"Those two are bundles of energy this morning," Lightdew meowed as she passed by. She gave Rowanwind and Thunderstripe a happy nod. "You two are doing wonderful with them."

"Thank you," Rowanwind replied. "We're doing our best."

The two friends waved their tails in good-bye to their apprentices' mother before going off to catch up to Purepaw and Palepaw. The siblings were wrestling just outside the camp. Their tussle caused them to kick up some leaves and dirt at their mentors.

"Whoa," Rowanwind said. "Careful. The dirt here is easy to kick up."

The two apprentices sprang apart at his words.

"Sorry!" Purepaw said immediately.

"Where are we going to hunt?" Palepaw asked.

"I thought we could try near WindClan territory," Rowanwind said. "If we don't find anything there, we can head over to the other side of our territory."

The apprentices leapt to their paws.

"Don't go scurrying off," Thunderstripe said. "Remember what Clawstar said. We have to stay vigilant while we're in the forest."

"Rowanwind!"

The four stopped and turned to see Granitetail pushing his way out through the tunnel entrance.

"What is it, Granitetail? Did you and Sootpaw want to come hunting with us?" Rowanwind asked.

"No, it's not that. Clawstar wants to speak to you," Granitetail said. "Nobody has seen Gingerheart since yesterday. He's worried she's been..."

"I'll take care of it," Rowanwind said. "Thanks, Granitetail."

The older tom nodded before ducking back into camp.

Rowanwind turned to his friend. Thunderstripe's yellow eyes were worried. They hadn't exactly discussed Gingerheart becoming a Twoleg again. Would Clawstar be mad?

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up," Rowanwind told them.

Thunderstripe nodded. "Come on, you furballs. Let's get a move on."

Rowanwind watched Thunderstripe and their apprentices disappear into the forest before heading back through the tunnel entrance. He quickly padded over to Frostflower's den and slipped inside.

"There you are," Clawstar said. He sat up in his nest.

Rowanwind looked around. Frostflower wasn't inside.

"She's gone out to collect some herbs," Clawstar said. "I think she took Sootpaw and Nimblepaw with her."

With a quick nod, Rowanwind sat down. "Granitetail said something about you wanting to speak to me."

"Yes. Granitetail came in this morning saying nobody has seen Gingerheart since yesterday, just before Snowcloud..." Clawstar paused before going on. It didn't matter that he finish his sentence; Rowanwind already knew he meant before Snowcloud was killed. "Do you have any idea what happened to her?"

Rowanwind shuffled his paws. "I hope you won't be angry with me, but I made a decision without consulting you first."

Clawstar's eyes lit up with interest. "What sort of decision?"

"Gingerheart had Duskpaw make her a Twoleg again," Rowanwind explained. "It was her idea. She knows what has been killing cats and other animals in the forest. She called them poachers. They are Twolegs with things called guns, which they use to kill animals. Our territories around the lake are supposed to be protected from such Twolegs, as Gingerheart told me. The only way to get rid of them, like Gingerheart said, was to have her become a Twoleg again."

Clawstar didn't say anything for a few minutes. When he finally spoke, his voice was full of question. "Is Gingerheart going to come back?"

"She promised Thunderstripe that she would," Rowanwind replied. "She came back to us once before, and that was when she didn't have to."

Clawstar nodded. "Very well. I will tell the Clan that Gingerheart has gone to speak to an old friend from her rogue days who may know how to rid of us the Twolegs killing off our Clanmates."

"I think that is a very good idea," Rowanwind said. "May I go now? I was just about to go hunting with Thunderstripe and our apprentices."

"Yes, you may go."

Rowanwind gave a quick nod before leaving. He raced out of the camp and began to follow the trail of his friend and their apprentices. It was an easy trail to follow. Just as he felt he was getting close to his Clanmates, he heard a frightened yowl. Putting on a burst of speed, Rowanwind crashed through a bramble bush to find Thunderstripe, Purepaw, and Palepaw fighting a badger.

"Palepaw, go back to camp and fetch more warriors!" Rowanwind shouted.

The young she-cat turned and disappeared into the undergrowth, leaving her Clanmates behind to fight the badger alone.

Rowanwind stared at the badger, trying to figure out if it was a DarkClan cat in disguise. He quickly looked around to see if there were other badgers, crows, or even cats around. The single badger was their only opponent. Rowanwind guessed it was just a normal badger.

"A em e fux!" Rowanwind said.

He felt the changes happening to his body. The badger squinted at him with beady eyes as it reared up onto its hind paws. Thunderstripe and Purepaw were hissing at the beast.

"Betgoh spooch!" Rowanwind said, saying some words Duskpaw had taught him. The words allowed him to understand and speak in the language of a badger.

"Me not like this," the badger grunted.

"You won't like it any more when more of us come!" Rowanwind said in badger.

Purepaw stared at his mentor in surprise.

"Betgoh spooch!" Thunderstripe whispered. He hissed at the badger. "This is our territory! Go away!"

Rowanwind felt a surge of pride for Thunderstripe. This was the first time his friend had been able to get the magick words to work for him!

"Betgoh spooch?" Purepaw said curiously.

"You no attack!" the badger grumbled.

Purepaw's eyes went wide. "The badger talked!"

"Purepaw!" Rowanwaind gaped. His apprentice had used magick without even meaning to! "Purepaw, get back. We don't know if he's going to attack or not!" Rowanwind said in cat.

Purepaw ignored his mentor. "Stupid badger! You've got a brain the side of a walnut!"

Rowanwind gave a shout as the badger suddenly lunged forward. It's right forepaw came slashing downward before connecting with the left side of Purepaw's face. Blood splattered from Purepaw's face just as there was a yowl from the patrol Palepaw had fetched.

Granitetail, Reedclaw, Cedarspirit, and Stormypelt advanced on the badger. With a frustrated grunt, the badger turned and lumbered away.

"Somebody fetch Frostflower!" Rowanwind screamed, standing over his injured apprentice. "Purepaw's injured!"

Rowanwind barely noticed Stormypelt and Cedarspirit turn back around and face off toward camp again. Thunderstripe stood beside him, looking down at Purepaw with wide eyes.

"What happened?" Granitetail asked.

"The badger slashed him," Rowanwind replied. "He's bleeding all over."

"What's going on here?" a muffled voice said.

"Frostflower!" Rowanwind glanced up. "Purepaw got attacked by a badger!"

The medicine cat dropped the herbs in her mouth and came streaming over. Rowanwind briefly saw Sootpaw and Nimblepaw put down their own bundles of herbs to worriedly watch.

"Get him to my den immediately," Frostflower said. "The sooner I can tend to that wound, the better his chances of keeping that eye."

Rowanwind felt his insides drop to his paws. If Purepaw lost his eye, he wouldn't be able to become a warrior!

Granitetail, noticing Rowanwind freeze, grabbed Purepaw's scruff and began to drag him back to camp. Reedclaw gently grabbed hold of one of Purepaw's back legs to help. Rowanwind heard Purepaw moan in pain. A streak of blood was left behind in Purepaw's path.

Rowanwind went after them, his mind filled with a sound like the buzzing of a hive of bees.

Would they get Purepaw back to camp in time for Frostflower to save the apprentice's eye?

Or was Purepaw never going to become a warrior?

**End of Chapter Thirteen**


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal my characters intentionally.

**Chapter 14**

_Rowanwind paced impatiently outside of Frostflower's den._ _Thunderstripe sat_ nearby beside Palepaw, who was nervously kneading the ground with her paws. Lightdew was lying on Palepaw's other side, her tail twitching impatiently. Crookedfern, who had been out on a patrol and had been fetched when Purepaw had gotten back to camp, licked Lightdew's ear distractedly. All of them were anxious to hear Frostflower's diagnosis on how Purepaw was doing.

The bracken shook and all eyes darted to Frostflower's face. Relief flooded Rowanwind when he saw Frostflower looked hopeful.

"The injury didn't damage his actual eye," Frostflower meowed. "It looks as if the injury only affected the flesh above and below his eye. He should be able to see just as well as he did before, but he'll be left with a nasty scar."

"Will he be able to continue training?" Rowanwind wondered with dread.

"Once he is healed enough, yes," Frostflower said. "But only StarClan knows how long that will take."

Rowanwind sighed. "It's all my fault."

"No, it isn't," Thunderstripe said. "It's the stupid badger's fault."

Rowanwind didn't feel like arguing. He turned away and padded over to the fresh-kill pile to lie down, alone, and think about what had happened.

* * *

"Hello there, Rowanwind. I'm sorry to hear about your apprentice," a familiar voice said.

Rowanwind opened his eyes. He wasn't in the darkness of sleep any longer; trees surrounded him and the lake sparkled with stars nearby.

"Hello, Firestar," Rowanwind said. "You must have seen what happened with Purepaw, if you know about it."

"There was nothing to be done," Firestar replied quietly. Rowanwind noticed a look in the tom's eyes, as if he were remembering something that had happened long ago.

"So, why are you here in my dreams tonight?" Rowanwind wondered.

Firestar's cloudy look evaporated. "There is something you need to see. Wake up and follow me."

Rowanwind felt himself waking. He blinked his eyes a few time in the darkness. Soft snores came from the sleeping cats around him. Quietly, he slipped out of his nest beside Stormypelt and headed out of the den. Thornfur was seated on a rock near the entrance, guarding the camp.

"Couldn't sleep?" Thornfur meowed.

"Yes. I'm going for a walk to try and relax," Rowanwind replied.

"Be careful," Thornfur said.

"I will."

Rowanwind pushed his way through the tunnel and outside the camp. His thoughts drifted back to the time he was a kit, hoping he would get Thornfur as a mentor. He was happy that Stormpaw, his nephew, had gotten Thornfur as his mentor when Rowanwind had not. Rowanwind had felt so disappointed when he was apprenticed to Ashfang, but by the time she had given her life in battle, they had grown a strong bond. And now, she watched over him from StarClan.

"Are you ready? Or should I let you finish your thoughts?"

Rowanwind blinked and looked around. Firestar was sitting not too far away at the base of a small oak tree. "I'm ready to go."

Without another word, Firestar stood and began to trek through the forest. Rowanwind followed, trying to keep as close as possible, wondering where in the world his ancestor was taking him.

It didn't take long for Rowanwind to realize where he was being led. Firestar was taking him to the spot where Clawstar, Dapplefoot, and Cottonbrave had all lost lives. Only Clawstar, having been granted nine lives by StarClan, had survived out of the three.

Rowanwind jerked back when Firestar suddenly disappeared. A strange, almost familiar, scent reached him. Cautiously, he walked forward and around a bush.

A tom was sitting, staring at a patch of grass, his pelt shimmering silvery white in the light of the moon. Rowanwind immediately recognized him as the cat he'd seen standing over the body of a thrush that had been killed by the Twoleg poachers. What was he doing, just sitting there?

Slowly, the tom looked up at Rowanwind. His yellow eyes were filled with sorrow. But what could this cat possibly be sad about?

"A very special cat died here," the tom meowed. He gestured at the tuft of grass.

Rowanwind blinked. How could he have known that? Why was this strange cat here in the first place? "Who are you?"

"My name is Ghostlight," he replied softly. "You know the special cat. He was related to you by blood."

"How do you know that?" Rowanwind demanded, the fur on his shoulders bristling. "How could you possibly know that?"

The cat shrugged. "I've never been very certain how I know such things. It may have to do with my use of magick."

"So you do know magick!" Rowanwind said. "You used it to disappear the first time I saw you."

"Yes. I'm sorry about that, but it wasn't the right time to speak to you," Ghostlight said. "Now, however, is the right time."

"Why do you need to speak to me?" Rowanwind wondered, sitting down.

"You must hear my story," Ghostlight said. "It will help you understand my reasons for being here."

"Okay," Rowanwind agreed.

"I was born in DarkClan to a she-cat named Mangle. She gave birth to me and another tom, whose name does not matter," Ghostlight said. "As I was being born, sparkling cats came to me. They said to me, '_Little one of snow white fur, we grant you these nine lives. Save the water, save the shadow, save the thunder and the meadow. Your friend is red, your foe is black. Know that StarClan has your back_.'

"When DarkClan's leader, Sly, saw me, I was taken away and killed by him. However, I came back to life. A loner named Dannie found me. One of DarkClan's ancestors, Deathmask..."

"Deathmask!" Rowanwind gaped. "I know him! He's come to me in my dreams!"

Ghostlight nodded. "Deathmask was watching over me when Dannie found me. He watches over me still, like a shadow that speaks. He told Dannie to raise me and tell me about my heritage when she thought I was ready for it.

"Once I learned about the evil I'd been born into and was fortunate enough to never be a part of, I vowed to follow DarkClan wherever they went. It took me some time to find them. Ever since then, I have followed them and watched, silently, as they destroy home after home.

"I've met many cats on my journey. None have been powerful enough to stop DarkClan. Until now. You, Rowanwind, are the only cat with a will strong enough to defeat DarkClan. DarkClan is going to pay for what they did to me. When I see the time is right, I will battle Sly and tire him out. Then, it will be up to you to go in for the kill."

Rowanwind felt a shiver go down his spine. He'd always known it would come down to that, but hearing Ghostlight put it that way made it sound so much more foreboding and final. "How did you know my name?"

"It is the same as how I know that a special cat died here," Ghostlight said. His yellow eyes filled with sorrow again. "Was he very close to you? You did something very nice for him before he passed on."

Rowanwind nodded. "He was my half-brother's son. My cousin. We never got along very well, but his death hit me really hard. I gave him what he was wishing for the most while he was alive: a warrior name."

"Was it DarkClan who killed him? I can feel their presence here," Ghostlight murmured.

"Yes. Cottonbrave sacrificed himself to try and stop the DarkClan cats from hurting our leader, Clawstar," Rowanwind explained.

"Cottonbrave. It suits him," Ghostlight said, blinking slowly. His eyes suddenly widened in surprise. "There are...outlines. Faint outlines. They remind me of the outline of my kittenself."

"You're probably seeing the lives Clawstar lost," Rowanwind said. "StarClan grant nine lives to leaders. I don't know why they gave you nine lives. Maybe you're supposed to be leader of DarkClan?"

"No!" Ghostlight hissed. "DarkClan will have no leaders after Sly. It's my destiny to make certain of that."

"But if you were DarkClan's leader, you could make them good again," Rowanwind said. "Wouldn't that be the same as destroying them?"

"The only way for DarkClan to be destroyed is if Sly is killed," Ghostlight replied. "_I_ will not be taking his place."

"If killing Sly is the only way to end DarkClan, then that's what I'm going to have to do," Rowanwind said. He realized that dawn was approaching. "Would you like to come stay with us in ThunderClan? We might not have enough room, but you could come stay as our guest."

Ghostlight's ears twitched. "Your Clan has had many tough times in recent seasons. I do not want to be a burden."

"You wouldn't be. As long as you help us out a little, nobody will have any objections to having you as our guest," Rowanwind said. "Especially when I tell them you're here to help us against DarkClan."

"If you insist," Ghostlight replied. "Lead the way."

"When we get to camp, wait outside the entrance. I'll fetch our leader, Clawstar, and tell him about you. Clawstar will have to make the final decision," Rowanwind warned.

"That is fine with me," Ghostlight said.

* * *

Once Rowanwind had told Clawstar everything he'd learned about Ghostlight, Clawstar had no objections to allowing Ghostlight to stay in ThunderClan, as a guest.

"You understand we are welcoming you as a guest," Clawstar said to Ghostlight after the two toms had been introduced. "This is not an acceptance of you into our Clan."

"I mean no offense, but I do not wish to become part of your Clan," Ghostlight said. "I am here strictly to aide in the defeat of DarkClan, nothing more and nothing less."

Clawstar nodded. "Good. I will wake the Clan now and tell them of our decision."

Rowanwind and Ghostlight followed Clawstar into camp. Clawstar headed over to the rock beneath Highledge he'd been using to speak to the Clan.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here before me for a Clan meeting!" Clawstar meowed loudly.

Rowanwind sat down near Clawstar with Ghostlight beside him. He watched the entrances to the dens rustle as warriors, apprentices, queens, and elders came out. Frostflower slinked out of her den with Maggotpaw right behind her. Whispers began to travel between the cats as some of them spotted Ghostlight.

"Cats of ThunderClan, we have a guest among us," Clawstar said. "His name is Ghostlight. He is here because he wants to help us get rid of DarkClan. I don't doubt his motives. You can all see his entirely white pelt. DarkClan would never ally themselves with such a 'light-demon,' as they call us."

"How would we know that for certain? They used Maggotpaw to spy on us!" Crookedfern reminded everyone.

Rowanwind glanced over to see Maggotpaw duck her head down in shame at Crookedfern's words.

"I promise you all that I am not working for DarkClan!" Ghostlight said, loud enough for all of the cats to hear. "I was born as a DarkClan cat. Sly threw me out because of my white pelt. When I learned of my horrible heritage, I vowed to do whatever I could to destroy DarkClan!"

Rowanwind noticed Ghostlight's yellow eyes scanning the crowd of cats. The fur on Ghostlight's shoulders suddenly rose. Following Ghostlight's gaze, Rowanwind realized that the white tom was staring at Duskpaw, who was quietly seated beside Crookedfern. Did Ghostlight somehow know that Duskpaw had once been a DarkClan cat?

Ghostlight gave a ferocious yowl and sprang at Duskpaw. The apprentice gave a yelp and dodged out of the way quickly. Ghostlight spun just as fast and slammed Duskpaw's shoulders to the ground. The white tom snarled in Duskpaw's face. Rowanwind went to save Duskpaw when Ghostlight suddenly froze. The white tom's yellow eyes widened as he stared into Duskpaw's mismatched eyes.

Rowanwind pricked his ears in time to catch Ghostlight whisper, "...a tom with one eye as green as new spring leaves and one eye as blue as the noon sky..."

"Ghostlight!" Rowanwind shouted. "What are you doing?"

Ghostlight slid off of Duskpaw.

The black tom shifted onto his feet and shook himself. "Are you mouse-brained?" Duskpaw spat. "What in StarClan's name are you attacking me for?"

Ghostlight hissed. "You have DarkClan blood in you!" Ghostlight looked up at Clawstar. "How do you know this tom is not a spy?"

"I trust Duskpaw," Clawstar replied. "He refused to kill a kit that DarkClan kidnapped from RiverClan, one of our neighboring Clans. Duskpaw rescused the kit and returned her to her rightful home."

Ghostlight turned back to Duskpaw. "Duskpaw? What was the name given to you when you were born?"

Duskpaw sat back on his haunches, his tail lashing back and forth. "My mother named me Switch."

"I knew it!" Ghostlight purred. "What good fortune this is! I am very glad that I don't have to destroy my little brother."

Duskpaw's eyes widened in surprise. "Little brother? What are you going on about? How could I be your brother?"

"Our parents never told you?" Ghostlight shook his head sadly. "Of course they didn't. Mangle and Snarl would never have allowed you to learn about me. Have you learned the truth behind your mother's death?"

"Nobody would tell me why Sly killed my mother," Duskpaw whispered, his eyes glazed. "I'd always wondered why Snarl never chose another mate after that. I just thought he'd actually loved my mother and couldn't bare to take another mate."

"Sly forbid Snarl from ever choosing another mate," Ghostlight said. "I know because I was there. It happened just after they killed an acquaintance of mine."

"You were there?" Duskpaw stared at Ghostlight. "Have you been following DarkClan?"

"Yes, I have. How else am I supposed to fulfill my vow to destroy them? I'm just glad that you have gone against them, as well. It is better for brothers to be on the same side in a war such as this," Ghostlight said.

"How do you know I'm the little brother?" Duskpaw wondered curiously.

"Just a guess," Ghostlight replied with a knowing look in his yellow eyes. "I'm usually right about such things."

"This is all very fascinating," Clawstar interrupted. "But the Clan needs to get back to it's daily life. Isn't it about time the dawn patrol left?"

"We'll leave now," Rainfur said. "Nimblepaw, come on!"

Blackcloud and Reedclaw followed the mother and daughter out of the camp to do the dawn patrol.

"You can all go back to your duties," Clawstar said, jumping down from the rock. He padded over to where Rowanwind was sitting with Ghostlight and Duskpaw. "This is an unusual coincidence. I'm very glad the two of you have found one another again, but don't let this new knowledge keep you from your duties, Duskpaw."

"I won't, Clawstar," Duskpaw replied.

"Speaking of duties, you need to clean out the elders' den this morning, Duskpaw," Crookedfern said from where he was sitting close by.

"Okay, Crookedfern," Duskpaw said. He looked back at Ghostlight. "That was my mentor. I have to do what he tells me to."

"Don't let me keep you," Ghostlight said. "We can catch up later."

"Rowanwind, why don't you show Ghostlight around the camp?" Clawstar suggested.

"Good idea. Come on, Ghostlight. We can start at the medicine cat's den," Rowanwind said.

Ghostlight followed Rowanwind around the rather quiet camp. Most of the cats had gone back into their dens to rest for a little while longer before the sun fully rose. Rowanwind showed Ghostlight Frostflower's den, the nursery, the apprentices' den, the warriors' den, and the dirtplace. He was showing Ghostlight where they kept the fresh-kill pile when a familiar, loud noise echoed through the forest.

Rowanwind and Ghostlight flattened themselves to the ground, their fur bristling with fear. It didn't take long for Rowanwind to get over the ringing in his ears. Clawstar came racing back out of Frostflower's den. Rowanwind heard Summerkit and Springkit mewing in fright inside the nursery. Warriors and apprentices came running back out of their dens.

The fear scent wafting from his Clanmates was overwhelming Rowanwind. Everyone was frightened about the sound. Rowanwind looked around helplessly, his mind reeling. The Twolegs had taken one of his Clanmates already. How could he possibly stop any more of his Clanmates from being killed?

The tunnel entrance shook. All eyes turned to watch Nimblepaw scrambling into the camp. She looked twice her normal size due to her entire pelt being fluffed out. Even from where he sat beside the fresh-kill pile, Rowanwind could make out Nimblepaw's wide, frightened, amber eyes.

"Nimblepaw!" Clawstar called, smoothly winding his way between the gathered ThunderClan cats. "What's the matter?"

Nimblepaw let out a dry sob. "It's...Blackcloud!"

Rowanwind noticed Thornfur's shoulders tense.

"What happened, Nimblepaw?" Clawstar demanded, the fur along his shoulders bristling.

"Blackcloud...is dead!" Nimblepaw screamed, her voice echoing off the walls of the quiet ThunderClan camp.

**End of Chapter Fourteen**

**Author's Notes:** Oh, no! Not Blackcloud! He was one of my favorite characters! Why did I kill him off if he's one of my favorite characters? Honestly, I don't know.

On a better note...yay, my readers have finally met Ghostlight! Keep an eye out for **_Warriors Descended Ghostlight's Story: A Legend in the Making_**! It's going to tell Ghostlight's life story, from his birth to his death! I've only just started to write his story, and I can already tell that I'm going to have fun writing it!


	17. Chapter Fifteen

**Author's Notes:** My email inbox has been almost flooded with alerts saying I have reviews for the first two books in this series. My profile says I haven't been working on this story for some time, but reading my new reviews made me want to work on this story again. When I checked my files, I realized that I hadn't uploaded the last two chapters I had finished! So, enjoy the two newest chapters while I write!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal them!

**

* * *

****Chapter 15**

_"No!" Thornfur screamed, agony thick in his voice. "No! It...can't be!"_

"Rowanwind! Follow Nimblepaw to where the others are. Take Granitetail with you," Clawstar ordered.

Ignoring the frightened whispers around him, Rowanwind headed for the exit with Granitetail. Without a word, Thornfur rushed after the two of them.

"Thornfur!" Clawstar called once, but the black tom ignored him.

Rowanwind watched Thornfur's frantic running as they followed Nimblepaw through the forest. He could only just imagine the pain that Thornfur was experiencing. Blackcloud and Thornfur had been very close, like Thunderstripe and Darkeye. Their brotherhood had never been very conspicuous, but everyone knew it was there. Thinking about Thunderstripe and Darkeye made Rowanwind realize that Blackcloud was their father. His heart wrenched with the thought. Why did the stupid poachers have to keep killing off his Clanmates? Couldn't they just kill birds and other prey and leave the cats alone?

"Rowanwind!" Rainfur screeched. She was backed up against a tree by a Twoleg, who was waving around Blackcloud's lifeless body.

Thornfur gave a mighty caterwaul before launching himself at the Twoleg. Blackcloud's body was dropped as the Twoleg tried to get Thornfur off of him. Rowanwind watched in horror as Thornfur was grabbed and tossed into a bramble bush.

"Stupid Twoleg!" Rowanwind heard a familiar meow. He turned in time to see Thunderstripe leap and dig his claws into the Twoleg's leg.

"Thunderstripe!" Rowanwind yelped, frightened for the life of his friend. He jumped when more Twoleg voices came at them from the forest. "Don't let the Twoleg get away!" Rowanwind yelped. He ran over and dug his claws into the screaming Twoleg's other leg.

The new Twolegs appeared. Rowanwind let go and backed off from the Twoleg. Thunderstripe did the same.

The new Twolegs grabbed the first Twoleg and dragged him away.

"Hey!" a voice said quietly.

Rowanwind and Thunderstripe turned to see a Twoleg girl kneeling behind them.

"Gingerheart!" Thunderstripe purred.

"I'm ready to come home. Is Duskpaw back at camp?" Gingerheart asked.

"I'll go get him!" Thunderstripe said before scampering off.

"Who was it this time?" Gingerheart asked, looking around. Rowanwind knew she wanted to know who had been killed by the poachers this time.

"Blackcloud," he whispered.

"Oh, no!" Gingerheart put her paw over her mouth. "Why Blackcloud? Oh, I was too late! If I'd gotten here sooner..."

"Don't blame yourself!" Rowanwind meowed.

Gingerheart flapped her paw at him. "I have to hide so they think I've left! Meet me here with Duskpaw once those Twolegs are gone!"

Before Rowanwind could speak, she slipped away.

"Rowanwind, they're looking at Blackcloud!" Granitetail shouted.

Rowanwind raced over and stood above Blackcloud's body, hissing. Rainfur stood beside him and hissed as well. The Twolegs paused before shaking their heads and leaving.

"We need to get Blackcloud back to camp," Rowanwind said.

"I'll help!" Thornfur said.

"But you just got thrown into a bush!" Darkeye said. Rowanwind couldn't remember when he'd showed up.

"Darkeye, have Reedclaw and Granitetail help you take Blackcloud back to camp," Rowanwind ordered. "Rainfur, help Thornfur follow. Nimblepaw, you can go with them. I'm going to stay here and make sure the Twolegs don't come back."

The cats followed his orders without any questions.

Thunderstripe and Duskpaw showed up moments after the others had headed back to camp.

"Where is she?" Thunderstripe demanded. "She...hasn't left me, has she?"

"I promised I would come back!"

They turned to see Gingerheart walking toward them. For some reason, she looked different as a Twoleg from the first time that Rowanwind had seen her.

Duskpaw whispered something. Gingerheart began to transform in front of them. Once the transformation was over, Gingerheart rushed over to Thunderstripe.

"Why did you look different than the first time I met you as a Twoleg?" Rowanwind wondered.

"I had Duskpaw disguise me," Gingerheart explained. "If I hadn't had him do that, the Twolegs I talked to would have recognized me as the Twoleg who disappeared."

"Well, I thought you were all up to something!" Stormypelt stepped out of the forest. "Welcome back, Gingerheart."

"Thanks, Stormypelt. It's good to be home," Gingerheart said. "I really missed all of you."

"We'd better get back to camp," Rowanwind said. "Everyone thinks you went to talk to an old rogue friend about the Twoleg poachers."

"Well, my story is going to be interesting!" Gingerheart commented.

Together, the five friends headed back to ThunderClan's camp.

* * *

Rowanwind sat with Stormypelt and watched their Clanmates give their last respects to Blackcloud. His heart felt like it was shattering as he watched Tenderclaw, Blackcloud's father; Thornfur, Blackcloud's brother; Wetpelt, Blackcloud's mate; and Darkeye and Thunderstripe, Blackcloud's kits, all sit together near Blackcloud's motionless body.

"I feel so sorry for them," Stormypelt whispered. "Blackcloud was a great warrior. He did so much for ThunderClan."

"I know," Rowanwind whispered, looking down at his paws as Thunderstripe stepped forward to bury his nose in Blackcloud's fur.

Tenderclaw waved his tail at Barrenoak. The two toms were currently the only elders left in ThunderClan. Together, the aged warriors grabbed a part of Blackcloud's body and began to drag him to where he would be buried.

A sob escaped from Wetpelt. Thunderstripe and Darkeye touched their tails to her shoulders in comfort. Thornfur watched closely as his father and Barrenoak took away Blackcloud's body.

"No parent should ever have to bury their children."

Rowanwind turned to look at Gingerheart. Her light brown eyes were full of tears as she looked at Thunderstripe and his family.

"That's what I was told when I was a Twoleg, anyway. Now I can see why it's so true," Gingerheart whispered.

"Yes," Rowanwind replied in a whisper. He closed his eyes and leaned his head on Stormypelt's shoulder.

The world felt like it was falling apart.

* * *

"Hello, Rowanwind!" Maggotpaw said as he slipped into Frostflower's den.

"Hello there, Maggotpaw," Rowanwind said. He glanced around the den for a few moments. Josephine, Doodle, and Whisker were all sitting near Maggotpaw as she worked at sorting herbs she and Frostflower had gathered this morning.

"Maggotpaw's told me a lot about you since I got here," Whisker meowed with a short laugh. "Thank you for saving me."

"And us, as well!" Josephine added, not wanting to be left out.

"We would have died there if you hadn't come to rescue us," Doodle said, curling his tail around his paws.

"I'm just glad to see all of you are getting better," Rowanwind replied. He glanced at Icefur's barely moving body. "Has there been any change?"

Maggotpaw frowned when she noticed Rowanwind looking at Icefur. Her head shook back and forth slowly. "No. Frostflower and I have been doing everything possible, but his condition hasn't changed at all."

"Was he close to you?" Josephine wondered quietly.

"He's my half-sister's mate," Rowanwind replied. "He was always very...confrontational. We never really got along. I'm not sure why. When I became deputy of ThunderClan, Icefur thought it was wrong because I didn't have an apprentice yet. He left because of that."

None of the cats knew what to say. They all just stared at him speechlessly.

"I'd better go. I need to speak to Clawstar about tomorrow's border patrols," Rowanwind said. A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to see Purepaw's head lifting off his paws.

"Rowanwind!" Purepaw purred.

"Hello, Purepaw. How are you feeling?" Rowanwind asked. The apprentice's left eye was still wrapped up in cobwebs, but his right eye looked much livelier than it had.

"I'm feeling great!" Purepaw replied. "Frostflower says I should be able to leave her den after the half moon!"

"That's great to hear. I bet you can't wait to get back to training," Rowanwind said.

"Training, yeah. Cleaing out dens, no!" Purepaw replied.

Rowanwind chuckled. "I'd better go. I'll check back in soon."

"See you later, Rowanwind!" Purepaw waved his tail on good-bye. The other cats nodded to him as he slipped outside.

"There you are, Rowanwind!" Clawstar said, padding over. "We need to discuss the border and hunting patrols for tomorrow."

"I was just about to find you," Rowanwind said. "I was thinking..."

* * *

Rowanwind was prodded awake the next morning by Thunderstripe. He blinked sleepily up at his friend.

"Time for the dawn patrol," Thunderstripe whispered.

After a good stretch, Rowanwind slipped out of the den. A chill, leaf fall wind blew through the camp. He ruffled his fur against the cold before shaking bits of moss from himself.

"Ready?" Rowanwind asked Thunderstripe, Wetpelt, and Palepaw. The others nodded.

Rowanwind led the way out of the camp. They passed Granitetail, who was by the entrance because he'd been on night guard. The forest outside was quiet in the early dawn. The silence felt nice to Rowanwind, whose last few days had been rather noisy with events. The four ThunderClan cats headed for the WindClan border. Rowanwind could smell the fresh scents of WindClan blowing from their hillside territory. They had probably just missed a WindClan border patrol going by.

"It's very peaceful this morning," Wetpelt commented as they headed along the border back up through ThunderClan territory.

"It's a nice change, isn't it?" Thunderstripe said. He was sticking close to his mother. Rowanwind knew the two of them were still grieving over Blackcloud's death.

Rowanwind paused to mark a bush. The others padded on a little farther ahead to wait for him. Just as Rowanwind was finishing, his paws began to tingle. He spun around and looked all around the forest surrounding them. He saw nothing but tree branches swaying in the breeze.

His fur on end, Rowanwind headed back to the others. "We're being followed," he hissed under his breath. "Keep going."

The other three cats followed his hissed order and continued going. Rowanwind didn't know why the DarkClan cats were waiting for. Why weren't they attacking? And then there was a howling screech. Rowanwind dodged out of the way as a black tom came flying down out of the trees.

"Palepaw! Camp! Now!" Rowanwind shouted.

The black and white she-cat zoomed into the underbrush, leaving behind the three warriors to fight. Rowanwind looked up and saw three black crows flapping around. Two more cats were crouched up in the trees.

They were outnumbered!

* * *

**End of Chapter Fifteen**


	18. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal them.

****

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_Rowanwind turned and slashed a paw at the tom who'd jumped down at him. One of the crows swooped down at him,_ but Rowanwind rolled out of the way. Using Rowanwind's distraction, the tom came in and clawed at Rowanwind's belly. Rowanwind gave a cry of pain as he felt the claws pierce his flesh.

"Rowanwind!" Thunderstripe gasped, but he was distracted by the two other crows.

Rowanwind flipped back onto his paws.

"Stupid light demon!" the tom who'd clawed him snarled.

Rowanwind gave a ferious snarl as he tackled the tom to the ground. They wrestled together through the leaves, neither of them quite getting the upperhand. Rowanwind tried his hardest to pin the tom to the ground. Every time he tried the tom would wiggle too much and get free.

Rowanwind heard a battle cry and glanced up to see Granitetail, Thornfur, Meadowlark, Stormypelt, and Cedarspirit come flying from the forest. Hope flared in his chest when he saw the patrol coming to their aide.

"Attack!" an unfamiliar voice shouted.

Rowanwind looked up as more cats began to appear in the trees above. His eyes widened when he realized that, even with the new ThunderClan members here to fight, they were still outnumbered. The hope he'd felt moments ago disappeared.

A flash of ginger caught Rowanwind's eye. It was Cedarspirit.

"Cedarspirit!" Rowanwind shouted. "Get WindClan! Go now!"

Cedarspirit gave him a quick nod before taking off. Hopefully, the tom would be able to get more help before this battle turned deadly.

The tom Rowanwind had been fighting tackled him to the ground suddenly. Rowanwind wiggled free and slashed at the tom's face. He felt satisfaction as blood began to ooze from the tom's face, blinding him in one eye. Despite the new setback, the tom launched himself at Rowanwind again. Rowanwind kicked at the tom's belly with his back legs, sending the tom flying in the other direction.

He looked over his shoulder to try and see where the tom had gone when he felt sharp talons pricking his shoulders. Rowanwind spun and slashed at the crow attacking him. The crow cawed at him and flapped higher into the air.

Rowanwind took a moment to look around. His Clanmates were fighting at least three DarkClan cats each, not to mention the now five or six crows there were. Black feathers fell down out of the sky whenever one of his Clanmates caught a claw in one of the birds. They needed something that could help them...like a badger.

Rowanwind looked around at his Clanmates, trying to determine who was the most like a badger. Granitetail was a good choice.

"Ghenatoteal as e betgoh!" Rowanwind shouted.

Granitetail's attackers paused as the tom began to change shape. Granitetail gave a frightened mew until he realized what was happening to him. With a ferocious roar, he stood up onto his hind paws and slashed his new claws at his opponents.

"Rowanwind!" Stormypelt screeched in warning.

Rowanwind turned in time to brace himself for another attack. The DarkClan she-cat dug her thorn-sharp claws into Rowanwind's shoulders. Instead of trying to shake her loose, Rowanwind rolled over and crushed her beneath him. The she-cat yowled in pain, and her grip loosened. Rowanwind rolled away from her and got back onto his feet.

Another crow came flapping down at him. Remembering the way Quickleaf had attached herself to the crow just before she'd died, Rowanwind launched himself into the air. His claws connected with the back of the crow and he scrambled at the crow's belly with his hind paws. The crow screamed in terror as Rowanwind's weight made them start losing altitude. Black feathers flew everywhere as Rowanwind continued scrambling at the crow's belly. The crow suddenly crash-landed in a bush. Rowanwind finally let go as the crow began to transform back into a cat.

He slid out of the bush and looked around, trying to find someone who needed help. Wetpelt was being pinned to the ground. He rushed over and dug his claws into the shoulders of the tom sitting on top of Wetpelt. With as much strength as he could muster, Rowanwind threw the tom off of Wetpelt.

"Thanks!" Wetpelt gasped out.

"No problem!" Rowanwind replied.

Another battle cry rang out. Rowanwind looked over to see Cedarspirit leading a WindClan patrol. He recognized Rumbleclaw, Brownclaw, Orangefoot, Rustclaw, and Nightstripe from WindClan. Maybe with their help, the DarkClan cats would be defeated.

"Hello," a voice hissed in Rowanwind's ear.

He turned to see Sly standing a few fox-lengths away. His orange eyes glinted in the rays of light from the sunrise. Rowanwind's heart thundered in his chest. Was this it? Was this the final battle? Would he actually have to kill a cat today?

"Calm yourself, Rowanwind," a familiar voice whispered. He glanced sideways to see Deathmask standing beside him. "Remember, Ghostlight will be there in the final battle!"

He'd completely forgotten Ghostlight's plan to tire out Sly so Rowanwind could go in for the kill. His heart slowed its fast pace.

"Aren't you going to come and get me?" Sly snarled.

Rowanwind growled at him. "I've got better things to do today, Sly!" Sly glared at him, his orange eyes turning to slits.

"Fine!" The black tom disappeared, but he didn't call a retreat. Instead, he shouted, "Kill one of them!"

The battle continued around Rowanwind. The DarkClan cats were fighting even more fiercely than before. Would one of them really kill one of the ThunderClan or WindClan cats? Did Sly really have that much authority over his Clan?

A crow came at Rowanwind. He ducked out of the way, but the crow turned to come at him again. There was a rumbling growl as Granitetail, still in the form of a badger, ambled over. One of his large paws swiped through the air, and the crow went flying into a tree. It fell to the the ground in a crumpled heap, transforming back to a cat as it fell.

"Keep it up, Granitetail!" Rowanwind shouted.

"There are more!" Rustclaw shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear.

ThunderClan and WindClan cats' heads turned to see four more DarkClan cats rushing into the battle. Rowanwind cursed. How many DarkClan cats could they possibly withstand fighting before someone fell?

"You're crowfood, light demon!"

Rowanwind turned and blocked a flashing paw coming at him. He reared up onto his hind paws and slammed his forepaws into the tom's shoulders. The tom screeched and rolled over, trying to claw at Rowanwind's belly. Still balancing on his hind legs, Rowanwind jumped back and dodged the claws.

"Stupid light demon!" the tom screeched.

Rowanwind felt a blow hit him from behind. He spun to see a she-cat crouched behind him. He went down on four paws again as she came at him once more. He tried to block her oncoming claws, but the tom clawed him from behind and distracted him. The she-cat's claws connected with his face, leaving behind oozing scratches. It was two against once now.

Rowanwind flipped over, slamming the tom into the ground. The she-cat's claws came at him again, but he was able to wiggle out of the way again. The tom got back onto his feet. The two DarkClan cats advanced on him, forcing him back. Rowanwind lashed his tail back and forth as he wondered the best way to get out of this predicament. He chanced a glance over his shoulder and realized they were backing him up into a tree. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage.

Rowanwind allowed the two cats to back him up into the tree. Choosing just the right moment, Rowanwind spun around and clawed his way up to the first thick branch jutting out of the trunk. He looked down at the two cats, who stared back up at him with curious expressions. With a caterwaul, Rowanwind launched himself from the branch and landed on the back of the tom. They rolled together across the ground, hissing and clawing at each other's faces. Rowanwind was finally able to catch the upperhand and was able to slam the tom's shoulders into the ground.

Pain ran through his shoulders as another crow caught its talons in his fur. He tumbled off of the tom he'd been fighting and slashed a paw over his back to try and dislodge the crow but that didn't help. Rowanwind rolled onto his side and crushed the crow beneath him. A sharp beak came up and snatched at his ear. Blood spurted everywhere as the beak caught his ear.

"Die, light demon!" the crow cawed loudly.

Rowanwind twisted and slapped his claws across the crow's face. More blood spurted everyone as blood oozed from the bird's face. Taking his chance, Rowanwind bit down on one of the bird's legs. The crow cawed in pain and finally dislodged its last few talons from his back. Rowanwind found his feet beneath him again and raced away.

"Help!" Rustclaw shouted as he went down beneath a large, black tom.

Rowanwind went to help his WindClan friend. The tom growled at him and refused to budge from atop Rustclaw.

"A em e fux!" Rowanwind shouted.

The black tom watched as Rowanwind became a fox. The transformation happened very quickly this time. One moment, Rowanwind was a normal, ginger tom. In the next second, he was a fox.

Growling, Rowanwind jumped and pushed the black tom off of Rustclaw. He turned and raced away, letting the tom chase him. Rowanwind spun around and clamped his teeth down on the tom's front leg. There was a nasty snap as Rowanwind jerked his head. The tom cried out in pain. When Rowanwind let go, the tom turned and limped away from the battle.

"Rowanwind, over here!" he heard Stormypelt shout. She and Thornfur were fighting against a crow that just did not want to go down.

Rowanwind ran over to them and jumped up onto the back of the crow. With a squawk, the crow fell to the ground with Rowanwind on top of it. He clawed out some of the feathers on its back before leaping off.

"Thanks," Stormypelt said. "I can take it from here."

His mate slipped over and began to claw at the crow's face. Thornfur latched on to one of the crow's weakly flapping feathers and began to pull out more feathers.

"Sly's orders have been fulfilled! DarkClan retreat!" a DarkClan tom suddenly shouted.

There were some tense moments of confusion as the ThunderClan and WindClan cats watched the last DarkClan crows turn into cats again. The DarkClan cats all converged into a huge group before disappearing into the shadows. The forest around the cats echoed with triumphant laughter, even after the DarkClan cats had disappeared.

Rowanwind barely felt himself changing back into a cat. He shook himself, splattering the nearby leaves with drops of blood. How had such a peaceful morning turned into such a dreadful battle?

"Rowanwind!" Wetpelt suddenly screamed.

His blood ran cold as he turned to see Wetpelt standing over the motionless body of a gray she-cat with a dark gray tail. Rowanwind's heart slowly began to slip downward as he padded over to the lifeless body of Meadowlark.

"It will be okay, Rowanwind." He glanced up to see Meadowlark's spirit sitting beside her body. She looked younger than she'd been when she was alive. "Tell Thunderstripe I'm very proud of him," Meadowlark meowed before disappearing.

Rowanwind sat down beside Meadowlark's body. He turned slightly to see Thunderstripe slowly walking over, limping on a bloody foot.

"Meadowlark..." Thunderstripe whispered. He lay beside his mentor. "Oh, Meadowlark...why you?"

Rowanwind knew the reason. It had been Sly's order. Sly was the reason Meadowlark was dead. A white hot rage spread through Rowanwind's icy veins, warming his entire body with hate. Sly was going to pay. He was going to pay for every death he'd caused...

Ashfang...

Cottonbrave...

Dapplefoot...

Quickleaf...

...and now Meadowlark.

Sly was going to die. And Rowanwind was going to be the one who killed him.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Sly has no idea what he's gotten himself into now! An angry Rowanwind is not a cat you want to cross! Things are really starting to heat up! The end is near! Can you feel it?

* * *

**End of Chapter Sixteen**


	19. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of them.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

* * *

"_Rowanwind. Rowanwind, are you awake?"_

Rowanwind opened his eyes and lifted his head. He blinked a few times to clear the blurriness from his eyes before looking up at Frostflower. "What is it?"

"Maggotpaw and I are heading to the Moonpool," Frostflower replied. "It's the half-moon, remember?"

"Oh. Yes. Of course," Rowanwind said. He gave a large yawn. "Be careful."

"We will," Frostflower meowed. She turned and walked a few paces before turning to look at him over her shoulder. "Rowanwind, are you okay? You seem...exhausted."

Rowanwind arched his back in a long stretch. "It's been a difficult time since that battle where Meadowlark died. All the extra patrols..."

"You should get back to sleep, then," Frostflower meowed. "But maybe you should go sleep in the warriors' den, rather then beside the fresh-kill pile."

Rowanwind glanced to see the pile of carcasses. He hadn't meant to fall asleep right here, but his eyes had seemed to close of their own accord. It hadn't been the first time in the past three days it had happened. "Don't worry. I will."

Frostflower nodded and padded away.

Rowanwind watched Frostflower and Maggotpaw exit the camp. After another huge yawn, he slinked off to the warriors' den. It was about time he got a good rest. After all, it was the medicine cat's orders.

* * *

The next morning, Rowanwind slipped out of the den. The sun was well above the trees. He looked around to see the camp full of life and sound. Summerkit and Springkit were waddling around outside the den, watched closely by Quickpelt and Poppyflower. Rowanwind assumed that Softcreek was inside the nursery, tending to Coldkit. Thinking of Coldkit, Rowanwind remembered Oakpelt and how uneasy the entire Clan was with him now.

Rowanwind walked over to the fresh-kill pile, looking around to see if Oakpelt was in the camp. His half-brother was nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for someone?" Stormypelt fell into step beside him.

The two of them sat down beside the fresh-kill pile.

"I was wondering where Oakpelt was," Rowanwind replied, looking at his choices for a morning meal. He chose a plump mouse and began to devour it.

Stormypelt's whiskers twitched in surprise. "It's sunhigh, Rowanwind. You assigned Oakpelt to the sunhigh patrol today, remember?"

Rowanwind shook his head. "My mind has been stretched to its limit these past few days."

Stormypelt stuck her nose into his shoulder fur. "Everything is going to be okay, Rowanwind. Those Twolegs and their strange holes are gone. DarkClan have not attacked us for nearly half a moon. It is peaceful in the forest, for once."

"I'm not letting my guard down!" Rowanwind hissed. "That's just what DarkClan wants us to do!"

Stormypelt jerked her head back, as if Rowanwind had physically clawed at her. "I know, Rowanwind. But everyone, including you, needs a break every once in a while." She paused. Her blue eyes looked up toward the sky, parts of which was covered with fluffy, white clouds. "Your entire life has pretty much been dedicated to the war against DarkClan. I'm sure StarClan would agree with me that you need a break."

Rowanwind shook his head sadly. "StarClan are the ones who put me where I am now. They must expect me to fight DarkClan with every ounce of my strength, at all times."

Stormypelt slapped the back of his head with her tail. "Don't talk like that! It's clear in every hair on your body that you are tired! Not one ThunderClan cat would disagree with me that you need to relax."

"How can I relax?" Rowanwind demanded to know.

Stormypelt stood and nudged him to his paws. "Let's go find Thunderstripe and Gingerheart. We can go hunting. Or play in the lake. Just as long as we're doing something that takes your mind off of DarkClan!"

Rowanwind sighed. "Okay, okay. Let me just go tell Clawstar."

Stormypelt curled her lip in protest. "Fine. I'll meet you at the entrance."

Rowanwind walked over to the medicine cat's den. He poked his head inside. "May I come in, Frostflower?"

"Rowanwind! Of course you can come in," Frostflower replied.

He slipped inside and was about to pad over to where Clawstar was cleaning his tail when Maggotpaw interrupted him.

"Hello, Rowanwind!" Maggotpaw said, her tail waggling happily.

"How are you, Maggotpaw?" Rowanwind asked.

"Maggotstripe," she replied, her whiskers twitching.

"What?" Rowanwind blinked.

"I got my medicine cat name!" the apprentice said. "I'm Maggotstripe now!"

Whisker purred. "She hasn't been able to stop talking about it since she and Frostflower got back this morning."

"Congratulations, Maggotstripe!" Rowanwind purred. "I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks, Rowanwind! I'm going to be the best medicine cat I can be!" Maggotstripe meowed.

"Now, what was it you came in here for?" Clawstar wondered.

"I'm going out with Stormypelt to find Thunderstripe and Gingerheart," Rowanwind replied. "Stormypelt thinks I need a break."

"That is a great idea," Frostflower said. "You've been looking more weary by the minute, Rowanwind. You need to go do something to take your mind off of your duties."

"Can I go?" Purepaw asked from the nest he was curled up in.

"Not yet, Purepaw," Frostflower said. "I want to put another poultice of goldenrod and marigold on that eye. If it's still swollen, I also want to put some stinging nettle on it. A few more days, and you should be healthy enough to leave my den."

Purepaw sighed heavily. "Okay, Frostflower."

"Tell Granitetail he is in charge of the camp while you are away," Clawstar told Rowanwind.

"I will," Rowanwind replied. He nodded to the cats before heading out to meet Stormypelt at the entrance.

"Ready?" Stormypelt asked.

"I have to ask Granitetail to watch the camp while I'm gone," Rowanwind replied. "Do you know where he is?"

"Last time I saw him, he was headed into the dirtplace," Stormypelt replied.

Rowanwind went over to the dirtplace and found Granitetail walking out with Softcreek. "Granitetail, I'm going out of the camp for a while. Can you keep an eye on everything until I get back?"

"Of course, Rowanwind," Granitetail replied.

Rowanwind glanced at Softcreek. "I thought you were in the nursery with Coldkit? I saw Quickpelt and Poppyflower watching Summerkit and Springkit playing."

Softcreek tilted her head. "It's okay. Coldkit was sleeping when I left."

Rowanwind nodded. "Okay. Well, don't leave him unattended for too long."

"He'll be okay," Softcreek said, an icy edge to her voice.

"Alright," Rowanwind replied, not wanting to make the queen angry. "I don't know how long I'll be out, Granitetail. I'll come and find you when I do get back."

"Take as long as you need, Rowanwind," Granitetail replied.

Rowanwind waved his tail in good-bye and went over to Stormypelt again. "Ready to go. So, what are we going to do?"

"I was thinking we could just take a walk, maybe play a little in the lake," Stormypelt said. "You haven't taken a moment to enjoy life in a while now, Rowanwind."

"Do you even know where Thunderstripe and Gingerheart are?" Rowanwind asked as they slipped out of the entrance tunnel.

"Yes. Thunderstripe took Palepaw to go practice battle moves with Rainfur and Nimblepaw. Gingerheart went with them."

They strolled through the forest to the clearing where the apprentices trained. Rowanwind spotted Palepaw pressing Nimblepaw into the leaves strewn on the floor of the clearing. Nimblepaw scrabbled under the black and white she-cat, but Palepaw wouldn't let her get up.

"Good job, Palepaw!" Thunderstripe called out happily. "You're doing much better with that move!"

"Rowanwind! Stormypelt!" Gingerheart purred happily when she spotted them.

Thunderstripe turned toward them. "Hey. What brings you two here?"

"Rowanwind needs a break," Stormypelt said. "I was wondering if you and Gingerheart wanted to go on a walk with us?"

Palepaw slipped off of Nimblepaw. "Are we finished training, Thunderstripe?"

Thunderstripe laughed. "Yes, we are. But now it's time for you to go help Sootpaw clean out the elders' den."

"Awww," Palepaw moaned unhappily.

"Rainfur, can you take the apprentices back to camp?" Thunderstripe asked the older warrior.

"Alright," Rainfur said. "Have fun on your walk."

The four friends waited for Rainfur and the two apprentices to disapepar into the forest before they headed off on a long walk.

* * *

Rowanwind and the others didn't get back until the sun was just behind the trees. When they returned to camp, they found their Clanmates frantically searching the camp. The fur on Rowanwind's shoulders rose as he looked around.

"Rainfur!" Rowanwind called, stopping his half sister as she ran past. "What's going on?"

"Coldkit is missing!" Rainfur replied. She gestured with her tail over toward the nursery. "Oakpelt is frantic. Everyone else in camp is really uneasy with him. You know, because of..."

"I understand," Rowanwind replied. "Do you think you can get him to calm down enough to be of any help to us?"

"I can try," Rainfur replied. She hurried off to the nursery.

"I told Softcreek to keep an eye on Coldkit," Rowanwind muttered angrily.

Stormypelt touched his shoulder with her tail-tip. "Rowanwind, you have to remember...Coldkit isn't Softcreek's. He's the son of a forbidden love affair. She won't like having to watch over him now that she knows exactly where he came from."

Rowanwind spat. "It doesn't matter where he comes from! He is part of ThunderClan, even if he is half RiverClan!"

"Rowanwind!" Stormypelt hissed. "I know you care for him because he is your half brother's son, but you have to remember the way others see him! You can't assume that just because you approve of him being here, every other cat does too."

Rowanwind turned to her. "Do you approve of him being here?"

Stormypelt seemed taken back by the question. "Rowanwind, I...you know that I haven't been a Clan cat for very long. I'm really very baffled at how much our Clanmates seem to dislike having Coldkit around. But I think Coldkit belongs in ThunderClan. He would be helpless without us watching over him."

Rowanwind sighed heavily. "Come on. We better go help search."

Granitetail raced over. "Rowanwind! Coldkit is missing! We have everyone possible looking for him."

"I already know what's going on," Rowanwind replied. "Rainfur told me. Where are all the places we've already looked?"

"Clawstar's den and Highledge, the nursery, the elders' den, the warriors' den, the apprentices' den, Frostflower's den, the newest den where the kittypets have started sleeping..." Granitetail rattled off everywhere they had looked. "He wasn't in any of those spots."

Rowanwind racked his brain, trying to think of a place nobody had looked yet. He thought back to earlier, when he had gone to tell Granitetail he was leaving...and he'd found Granitetail and Softcreek in...

"The dirtplace!" Rowanwind said hurriedly. "Coldkit may have followed Softcreek's scent over there. Has anyone tried tracking his scent?"

Granitetail nodded. "Darkeye and Silvermoon are. They aren't having much luck. Coldkit has been missing since you left, and the scent has faded because of everyone rushing around the camp."

"Granitetail, you keep looking around camp. Ask everyone when was the last time they saw Coldkit. Stormypelt, you come with me to check the dirtplace," Rowanwind said.

Granitetail gave a nod before running off.

Rowanwind and Stormypelt quickly headed over to the dirtplace. Side by side, they began to sniff around the area outside the dirtplace. A few moments later, Stormypelt gasped and said, "Rowanwind! I think I found his scent!"

Rowanwind went over to the bramble wall that Stormypelt was standing by. She pointed her paw at a low area beneath the brambles that was big enough for an apprentice to fit into. When Rowanwind bent down to sniff at it, he bombarded by memories as Coldkit's scent reached his nostrils...

"_You're sure?"_ Goldenstar's voice echoed in his head. "_Yes. The only interesting thing that's happened is his catching a fish,"_ Ashfang's voice replied. She paused. _"Goldenstar, I would very much like to know why you're so interested in Rowanpaw and his training. You said you would tell me."_ There was a sigh from Goldenstar. _"That is between me and Frostflower."_ Ashfang hissed softly. _"There's a prophecy involved, isn't there? That's why you're being so secretive!"_ "_You're very clever, Ashfang,"_ Goldenstar's voice said. _"But it is none of your concern."_ "_It is my concern if it has something to do with my apprentice and my Clan!"_ Ashfang's voice was thick with barely supressed anger. Rowanwind's eyes watered as he remembered how Ashfang had stood up to Goldenstar. _"I remember you mentioning Cedarpaw last time we spoke. Are you trying to figure out if this secret prophecy names Cedarpaw or Rowanpaw?" _

"Rowanwind, are you okay?" Stormypelt's voice broke into his memories.

Rowanwind blinked a few times. "I'm sorry. I was just...remembering something from my days as an apprentice."

Stormypelt touched his cheek with her nose. "Were they bad memories?"

"No. I was...remembering something I overhead Goldenstar and Ashfang saying."

"An eavesdropping memory," Stormypelt said softly. "You must have been a naughty apprentice." She flicked her tail at the thorn bush. "Well, is that Coldkit's scent, or not?"

"Yes, it is. Good find," Rowanwind replied, praising his mate as well. He glanced at the entrance to the dirtplace. "I'm wondering if he followed Softcreek's scent to this spot. He must have seen someone coming and hid so they wouldn't see him."

The two cats searched for more traces of Coldkit. When they entered the dirtplace, Rowanwind found a very strong trail of Coldkit's scent.

"He went this way," Rowanwind affirmed. "He must have found the way out through here, and is out in the forest."

"Oh, no! We have to go find him!" Stormypelt said. "He could trip and get hurt!"

"Or worse," Rowanwind meowed. "We have no idea if any DarkClan cats are out patroling our land."

Stormypelt's pretty, blue eyes widened. "Let's hurry!"

The two followed Coldkit's trail out into the forest. Every once in a while, they would lose the scent and have to search for it. For each step Rowanwind took, he got more and more worried that they would find Coldkit too late...

By the time they heard the kit's frightened squeal up ahead, the sun had disappeared behind the distant mountains and the forest was thrown into deep shadows that would scare any kit.

"Coldkit!" Rowanwind jumped through a holly bush and landed in a small clearing beneath a few large oaks.

Coldkit was sitting between two roots of one of the larger oaks. He stumbled to his feet when he spotted Rowanwind. "Rowanwind! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Rowanwind allowed the frightened, shivering kit to rub against him. "Coldkit, what were you thinking? You know you aren't allowed out into the forest, especially not alone...and especially not these days!"

Coldkit sniffed. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to go so far! I got lost!"

Rowanwind smoothed the kit's fur down with his tongue. "We're just glad that you're okay. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"No," Coldkit replied in his tiny voice. "But I'm cold."

"We'll lick you to warm you up," Rowanwind said. "But then we have to take you back to camp. Everyone is looking for you."

Coldkit's little, yellow-green eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes," Rowanwind replied before he and Stormypelt began to warm him with their tongues.

Once Coldkit was feeling warmer, Rowanwind grabbed the kit by the scruff of his neck and began to drag him back to camp. Rowanwind knew that Coldkit was old enough to walk by himself, but he wanted to carry Coldkit to emphasize the fact that he was still too young to be venturing off into the forest alone.

When they got back to camp, Rowanwind dragged Coldkit over to the rock where Clawstar addressed the Clan. The ThunderClan cats began to gather around him. News that Coldkit had been found flew fast through the camp, and within moments the entire Clan was seated in front of Rowanwind.

Clawstar, Frostflower, and Maggotstripe walked through a path the ThunderClan cats left for them.

"Is he hurt?" Frostflower asked immediately.

Rowanwind shook his head. "He was just cold when we found him."

"Where was he?" Clawstar asked.

Rowanwind twitched his whiskers. "Stormypelt and I followed his trail out into the forest. He got out through the dirtplace. I think he followed Softcreek and hid so she wouldn't see him before he left the camp."

Oakpelt suddenly pushed his way through the crowd. "Coldkit! Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you? Where in StarClan's name did you go?"

Clawstar hissed and stepped between Oakpelt and his son. "Oakpelt, I will take care of this. You may be Coldkit's father, but you brought him into to us under forbidden circumstances. Must I remind you of that?"

Oakpelt cringed away from the glare of his leader. "No, Clawstar. I remember," he said, very quietly.

Clawstar turned back to Coldkit, who had flattened himself to the ground. "Coldkit, you know that kits aren't allowed out of camp. It is in the warrior code. You will have to be punished for breaking the rules..."

"You can't exile him!" Oakpelt gasped out.

Clawstar hissed, making Oakpelt go quiet.

"I won't exile kits," Clawstar said. "I would not be able to live with myself." He turned once again to Coldkit. "As punishment, Coldkit, you will have to wait half a moon later than you would normally to become an apprentice."

Coldkit's ears flattened against his head.

"Softcreek," Clawstar said, turning to the queen, "I suggest you take better care watching over the kits in your care."

Softcreek nodded solemnly. She glanced at Rowanwind, regret in her eyes. He knew she was thinking about the fact that he'd told her she needed to keep an eye on Coldkit, moments before the kit had disappeared.

"Alright," Clawstar said. "Everyone can go back to their normal duties."

One by one, then in groups, the ThunderClan cats dispersed. Softcreek walked forward, Summerkit and Springkit behind her, to collect Coldkit. Rowanwind watched the kit walk along behind his adoptive mother back to the nursery.

"Thank you for finding him, Rowanwind" Clawstar said. "I know that it angers you that we treat Coldkit the way we do, but it is difficult for us to forgive Oakpelt's betrayal as easily as you did."

Rowanwind flicked his tail-tip agitatedly. "Who says I've completely forgiven him?"

He glanced over to see Oakpelt by the fresh-kill pile, watching Coldkit disappear into the nursery. Oakpelt's eyes shimmered wetly in the moonlight. Rowanwind turned away and pressed his nose to Stormypelt's cheek.

* * *

**End of Chapter Seventeen**


	20. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal them.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

* * *

"_Are you busy right now, Rowanwind?" Clawstar asked, walking _over to the spotbeside the fresh-kill pile that Rowanwind was lying.

Rowanwind looked up from the chaffinch he'd been eating. "No. Was there something you needed to talk about?"

Clawstar chose a rather skinny mouse from the pile. "The prey is getting thin, I've noticed. Is a hunting party out right now?"

"Yes," Rowanwind replied. He knew hunting patrols was not what the leader wanted to talk about. "Thornfur and Thunderstripe took their apprentices out to hunt."

"Good," Clawstar said. He took a few bites of the mouse. "I've been thinking. I know we have quite a few already, but we need more warriors. I think Duskpaw has showed us that he is loyal to the warrior code. I believe it's time for him to be given a warrior name."

"I think it's a brilliant idea," Rowanwind said.

Clawstar nodded. "I'm also going to ask all of the kittypets we have staying here if they are interested in joining ThunderClan. I'm sorry to say, but Stormypelt's parents have not been doing much lately while they have been here. If they don't join the Clan, or at least begin to do more for us, they will need to go back to Twolegplace."

"Francis and Lola," Rowanwind replied. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd been thinking about his mate's parents as well. "I'm sure if you spoke to them, they would try to help out more."

"What about the kittypets we rescued from DarkClan?" Clawstar wondered.

"Whisker might join, since Maggotstripe is his sister. I'm not sure about Josephine and Doodle," Rowanwind said. "All we can do is ask."

"Thank you for your input," Clawstar said.

"You're welcome," Rowanwind replied.

"I'll hold Duskpaw's ceremony tonight. I'll go speak to the kittypets right now, so they can think about their decision until the ceremony," Clawstar said.

"Good idea," Rowanwind said.

"I'll let you finish your meal," Clawstar said. The leader stood up and walked away, heading for the den where the kittypets slept.

* * *

"All cats who are old enough to catch their own prey, gather before me for a Clan meeting!" Clawstar shouted.

Rowanwind took his seat beside the rock where Clawstar stood and watched as his Clanmates came out of their dens and walked over from the fresh-kill pile. Once all of the cats were seated comfortably, Clawstar began.

"Some time ago, I allowed a black cat named Switch into ThunderClan," Clawstar said. "He was once our enemy. But, now that I have gotten to know him, I realize that he was never our enemy. Duskpaw has showed us all, without question, that he is loyal to the warrior code, and loyal to his new Clan. Duskpaw, please come forward."

As Duskpaw padded forward, Clawstar slipped off the rock he was standing on.

"I, Clawstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on Duskpaw. He has trained hard to understand the way of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn."

Rowanwind watched Duskpaw's one green eye and one blue eye sparkle excitedly in the moonlight. He glanced over at Ghostlight to see the tom's yellow eyes blazing with pride.

"Duskpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Duskpaw said, his voice unwavering.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forward, you will be known as Dusklight. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. We now officially accept you into our Clan," Clawstar said.

Dusklight licked Clawstar's shoulder in respect as Clawstar touched Dusklight's head with his nose.

"Duslight! Dusklight!" the cats of ThunderClan shouted.

Ghostlight's voice was the loudest.

Dusklight's eyes danced with happiness as he padded over to sit beside his brother.

"Will Whisker, Josephine, and Doodle please come forward?" Clawstar asked when the shouting had died down.

The three kittypets walked forward.

"Earlier today, I asked the three of you if you would like to join ThunderClan as warriors," Clawstar said. "Have any of you made your decision?"

Josephine stepped forward. "Doodle and I thought long and hard about your offer. Neither of us feels right accepting. If it is okay with you, we would like to continue staying as guests."

"That is fine," Clawstar said. "We will not force you to join us." He turned to Whisker. "Have you decided?"

Whisker nodded. "I've seen how happy my sister, Maggotstripe, is here. I would like to join ThunderClan."

"Very well," Clawstar said. "It is obvious that you are strong of will and heart, and you must have learned the warrior code while you were here healing.

"I, Clawstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on Whisker. He has learned the way of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.

"Whisker, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Whisker replied.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forward, you will be known as Whiskerheart. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Whiskerheart! Whiskerheart!" the cats all cried.

This time, Maggotstripe's shout was the loudest of all.

"That is all for tonight," Clawstar said. "Congratulations to our new warriors."

"Tired?" Stormypelt asked, brushing her shoulder against Rowanwind's shoulder. "You look like you're about to fall over. Let's go get some sleep."

Rowanwind nodded. "I could use it."

Side by side, Rowanwind and Stormypelt headed to the warriors' den for a good night's rest.

* * *

Orange eyes glinted in the darkness. His paws felt frozen beneath him as the eyes grew larger and brighter. The eyes suddenly became the eyes of a monster zooming toward him. The monster blared loudly as it whooshed over him. His paws sprang to life, and he ran forward, only to fall into bone-chilling water.

His paws churned at the water, but his limbs were growing numb. His fur was plastered to his skin. Rocks touched his feet, and he dragged himself forward onto a sandy shore. Exhausted, he slumped to the ground. Gritty sand stuck to his face.

Vicious growling made him jump back to his feet. His sides heaved as he panted. Every breath felt like it brought a raging fire inside his chest. His eyes scanned the area around him, but it was still so dark he couldn't see anything.

Something suddenly flashed brightly in front of him. A badger lumbered toward him, going too fast for him to dodge. The badger's massive head collided with his side, and he went flying into the air. Instead of hitting water, like he expected, he kept on falling...and falling...and falling...his limbs flapped listlessly through the air, attemting to turn him so that he could land on his feet, but he no longer knew which way was up and which way was down...

Orange eyes appeared again, and he heard Sly's malicious laughter. "It's not fun, realizing that I can attack you in your dreams, is it, light-demon?"

"Rowanwind! Rowanwind, wake up!" Stormypelt's frantic voice reached him through the darkness.

Rowanwind's eyes flared open. He rolled to his feet and all the fur on his body fluffed up. His tail lashed back and forth, striking two cats still partially curled up in their nests.

"Rowanwind, stop! You're hitting us with your tail!" Thunderstripe yelped.

Stormypelt's warm body brushed up against Rowanwind, and he immediately calmed down. His pants were still ragged and harsh. His fur began to lie flat.

"It's okay. It was just a bad dream," Stormypelt whispered. "You woke the whole den."

Rowanwind glanced around and saw all of the glowing eyes of his Clanmates staring at him. Remembering Sly's glowing, orange ideas, Rowanwind shivered.

_It's not fun, realizing that I can attack you in your dreams, is it, light-demon?_

The phrase echoed in Rowanwind's mind. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the voice, but nothing helped. With slow certainty, Rowanwind realized that Sly must have put a spell on him, to attack him in his dreams...

"Dusklight! I need to speak to Dusklight!" Rowanwind said.

Dusklight walked forward. "Come on, Rowanwind. Follow me." When Stormypelt tried to follow, Dusklight gestured at her with his tail. "No. Let me speak to him alone, please."

Stormypelt nodded and sat back.

Rowanwind stumbled outside, following Dusklight's black, shadowy shape. They stopped a few fox-lengths away from the entrance to the warriors' den.

"That wasn't a normal nightmare you had, was it?" Dusklight asked, sitting down and curling his tail around his paws. "Sly put a nightmare spell on you. I can feel it coming off you in waves."

Rowanwind shivered. "Can you...take it away?"

Dusklight nodded. "Try to hold still. Just listen to my voice, okay? Try and block out everything, especially the dream. Can you do that?"

Rowanwind nodded. He forced the thoughts of the dream out of his head, ignored the noises of the night around him, and focued in on Dusklight's voice.

"Naghtmehos cumo ent

naghtmehos gu

Hat thas nublo cet

uf ell bet thoems."

Rowanwind felt like a huge tree limb was being lifted off of him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you, Dusklight. I feel much better."

"We need to put a dream protection spell on you, so that Sly can't do this again," Dusklight said. "You have to be the one to say the spell, though."

"What's the spell?" Rowanwind wondered.

"You have to make it up yourself," Dusklight replied. "Almost every dream protection spell is different."

Rowanwind nodded. "Right." He took a few moments to think before saying,

"Mp thoems eho sechot

nut unlp A knuw thet

meko at su thet oval

cennut ontoh mp

sechot thoems."

A golden light shimmered around Rowanwind for a few moments before disappearing.

"Good. That means it worked," Dusklight said. "Nothing like what you dreamed tonight will happen again."

"I sure hope not," Rowanwind muttered. "Thank you for your help, Dusklight. I couldn't have gone on with those thoughts in my head."

"You're very welcome," Dusklight replied. "Let's get back to sleep."

* * *

A few days later, Rowanwind had just returned from a hunting patrol and was dropping a few mice onto the fresh-kill pile when Maggotstripe ran over to him.

"Icefur is dying," Maggotstripe said sadly.

"Right now?" Rowanwind's heart dropped.

Maggotstripe nodded. "Rainfur and their kits are saying their good-byes. Rainfur asked me to fetch you and Oakpelt, but I still haven't found Oakpelt."

"Try the nursery," Rowanwind suggested.

"I did," Maggotstripe said. "He wasn't there."

Rowanwind grew immediately suspicious. If Oakpelt wasn't in camp, and he hadn't been sent out on a patrol, where could he have gone? Rowanwind knew there was one place Oakpelt would go, a place that few cats had known he'd gone until Twigleaf had overheard them speaking...

"There he is," Maggotstripe said.

Rowanwind turned to see his half brother walking out of the dirtplace.

"I'll go tell him," Maggotstripe said. "You go on to Frostflower's den."

As Rowanwind padded over to Frostflower's den, he couldn't help but wonder if Oakpelt really had just been making dirt, or if he had gone off to meet Maplerose. Surely the RiverClan she-cat would want to know how her son was doing? Oakpelt would be all too ready to secretly meet her every once in a while to speak to her about their children.

The atmosphere of sorrow overwhelmed Rowanwind as he entered the medicine cat's den. The only other cats inside were Frostflower, Rainfur, and Rainfur's three kits. Icefur's breathing was coming in slow, hoarse breaths.

"Rowanwind," Rainfur whispered, her voice full of pain.

Rowanwind heard the kits weeping softly for their dying father. His heart felt like it was being smothered in sorrow.

"Rowan...wind."

Rowanwind's ears twitched. It took him a moment to realize that Icefur was trying to talk to him because the tom's eyes were closed.

"I'm here, Icefur," Rowanwind whispered. He bent his head forward toward Icefur's lips to hear him more clearly.

"I'm...sorry," Icefur's weak voice said. "I was...foolish...did more harm...than good." He paused and took a deep breath. "I can...only...only...hope...that StarClan will...forgive me."

Rowanwind's throat felt tight, like a piece of fresh-kill was caught in it. "StarClan will forgive you, Icefur. How could they not, when you believe in the warrior code so strongly?"

A small purr escaped from the dying tom. "Rainfur..."

Rainfur crept forward on her belly and touching her nose to Icefur's cheek. "What is it, my love?" Rowanwind could hear the emotion in her voice.

Oakpelt and Maggotstripe entered then. Maggotstripe went to sit beside her mentor, her whiskers drooping sadly. Oakpelt went and wrapped his tail around a weeping Webpaw, whose shoulders shook with each sob.

"I will...always love you," Icefur said to Rainfur. His yellow eyes finally blinked open. "Where...are our...kits?"

"Right here," Rainfur whispered. "They are right here."

"They are...apprentices," Icefur said. "Strong, healthy..."

"Yes. Yes, they are," Rainfur agreed.

"Good luck...my kits," Icefur said with a long sigh. "Our kits...so beautiful...the day they...were born."

Rainfur pressed her face into Icefur's neck as the tom struggled to breathe. "Please, Icefur. Please, don't leave us. We need you to stay. You can't...you just can't give up."

Icefur's breathing was more shallow now. Rowanwind wanted so badly to turn away, but he continued to watch as Icefur's breaths grew fewer and fewer.

"Icefur, please," Rainfur said, her shoulders shaking now.

"Love...you," Icefur said, slowly. His breath left his body, and he did not breathe again.

Rowanwind watched, barely hearing the sobs of his family around him, as Icefur's soul stepped out of his body. He looked younger, more vibrant; his blue-gray fur shimmered like stars on the clearest of all nights. Yellow eyes turned to Rowanwind. The spirit nodded before turning and walking up into the ceiling of the den, producing a shimmery trail of light that twinkled briefly before completely disappearing...leaving behind a den full of grieving ThunderClan cats.

* * *

**End of Chapter Eighteen**


	21. Chapter Nineteen

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal them.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

* * *

"_Are we going out alone?" Purepaw asked, his tail lashing back and forth_ in his excitement at being able to leave the camp once again.

Purepaw's eye had almostly completely healed. The left side of his face bore deep scars from the claws of the badger that had hurt him. The apprentice was lucky he could still see out of his left eye, which had been swollen shut for most of the time he'd been in Frostflower's den.

"Yes, we're going out alone," Rowanwind replied. "We need to see if you remember how to catch prey."

"Of course I remember!" Purepaw insisted.

"Alright. Pretend that leaf there is a mouse," Rowanwind said, gesturing with his tail at a leaf nearby.

Purepaw went into a hunter's crouch. Rowanwind watched as his apprentice stalked the leaf and then pounced on it.

"No," Rowanwind said. "If that had been a real mouse, it would have heard you before you got close enough to pounce."

Purepaw batted away the leaf. "I thought I remembered."

Rowanwind laughed. "Come on. We'll go out so you can practice on real prey, not leaves that only move in the wind."

The mentor and apprentice headed out of the camp, through the tunnel entrance, and out into the surrounding forest. They padded, side by side, through the undergrowth. Birds called down to them from the branches of the trees. Wind tossed the branches, raining leaves down on the two cats.

Every once in a while, Purepaw leaped up to snatch at a falling leaf. Rowanwind felt happy knowing his apprentice's new scar didn't discourage him from continuing to live his life. He thanked StarClan that Purepaw had kept his sight in his left eye, allowing him to continue his training as a warrior.

"Did you hear that?" Purepaw asked, stopping to perk his ears and listen for the sound Rowanwind had missed.

Rowanwind paused and listened. He could hear the sound of rustling leaves, as if a bird were kicking them aside to search for bugs.

Purepaw went into his hunter's crouch and stalked forward. Rowanwind glanced around before finally spotting the chaffinch Purepaw was going after. He slowly sat back on his haunches to watch his apprentice creep up on the unsuspecting bird.

With a growl, Purepaw leapt at the bird and crushed it beneath his paws. One, swift bite to the critter's neck and it stopped fluttering under his unsheathed claws.

"How was that?" Purepaw asked, a stray feather stuck to his face.

Rowanwind laughed. "Excellent. It seems you haven't forgotten all your training. You may want to get that feather off your face, though, or someone will think you were eating while hunting."

Purepaw brushed a paw over his face. The feather stuck to his paw instead. Rowanwind laughed as Purepaw flicked his paw, trying to dislodge the feather. When it didn't come off, Purepaw swiped at it with his other paw, only to have it stick to that paw instead.

Rowanwind was still chuckling over his apprentice's misfortunate feather when he heard a battle cry echo through the forest. His fur stood on end. Purepaw suddenly jumped, his eyes widening.

The feather forgotten, Rowanwind turned toward the sound.

"Come on, Purepaw!" he shouted.

Together, the two toms sped through the forest toward the sounds of battling cats. Rowanwind knew they were getting closer when the sounds grew louder and louder. They crashed through a bramble bush, tufts of their fur getting caught, and stumbled upon a small battle of ThunderClan versus DarkClan.

Thornfur, Reedclaw, and Mistmeadow, who had been out on a border patrol, Rowanwind knew, were fiercely battling four dark-pelted toms and two, black she-cats. Thornfur battled two of the toms, while Mistmeadow and Reeclaw each battled a tom and a she-cat pair.

Hoping that there were no more DarkClan cats hiding nearby, Rowanwind gave a hearty caterwaul before leaping on the tom that Mistmeadow was fighting.

They rolled through the fallen leaves, barely missing a small thorn bush that looked like it had been crushed by a large animal. Rowanwind hissed and rolled off of the tom. The DarkClan cat came at him, and he spun and kicked with his back legs. His back paws connected with the tom's chest, sending him stumbling backward into the bramble bush. When the tom gave a startled cry of pain, Rowanwind ran over to help Purepaw tackle another of the toms to the ground.

A few moments later, only one of the she-cats was left. Mistmeadow and Reedclaw had her cornered up against the thick trunk of an oak. Her lips were pulled back from his lips, revealing yellow fangs.

"Let her go," Rowanwind said.

Mistmeadow and Reedclaw stepped back.

Before the she-cat ran off, she turned silver eyes on Rowanwind. "Sly wants you to know that the final battle is coming. It all ends tomorrow. When the moon has reached its highest place in the night sky, meet us at the island you go every full moon...if you don't want us to kill you all in your homes!"

* * *

"This is terrible," Clawstar said.

"I think Sly's intention was for us to have little time to prepare for the final battle," Rowanwind said. His insides felt as heavy as rocks. It had taken him some time to get back to camp to report to Clawstar what had happened. "He knows that we are five Clans against one. Even his kittypet allies barely swell his ranks to the size of ours."

"They will try everything possible to end this in their favor," Ghostlight said. Clawstar had asked the white tom to sit in on their conversation, knowing that the tom was going to be a large part of finishing the war against DarkClan. "Magick is their greatest weapon. Unfortunately, we have only three who know how to use magick with strong results."

"We can't back down now," Rowanwind said. "If we all stay in our respective camps, DarkClan will easily pick us off, one by one. It's better if we go up against them, head on, with all of our allies beside us."

"I still don't understand what _he_ has to do with all of this," Crimsonstar said, gesturing at Ghostlight.

Crimsonstar, Angelstar, Featherstar, and Gloom had all been sent for. The cats were gathered on the lakeshore where the ThunderClan and WindClan territories met.

"I have already explained," Ghostlight said. "I will not repeat my intentions for being here."

Crimsonstar hissed at him. "How can we trust you if you act so mysterious?"

"Because I trust him," Rowanwind said.

"As do I," Clawstar added.

Crimsonster spat.

"It seems to me that Crimsonstar is only worried for the safety of her Clan," Featherstar said.

"Don't tell me what I seem to be worried about!" Crimsonstar muttered.

"I want to know what we're going to do!" Angelstar said. "Are we going to meet them on the island, or allow them to come pick us off, one by one?"

"Head on!" Featherstar meowed sternly.

"Head on!" Crimsonstar added, her eyes ablaze. "The stronger we are together, the better."

"I agree," Angelstar said. "Head on is the best way. But what if it is a trap? What if we go to meet them on the island, and they attack our camps while our best warriors are away?"

"We will just have to chance it," Rowanwind said.

"DarkClan will not do such a thing," Ghostlight said. "Not this night."

"What makes you so sure?" Crimsonstar demanded.

"I have followed them for many moons," Ghostlight replied. "When it comes to a final battle, DarkClan go head on. The rest of their battles may be sneaky...but never their final battle."

"Never?" Clawstar asked.

"Never," Ghostlight confirmed.

"Then it's decided," Rowanwind meowed. "Tonight, when the moon has reached its highest spot in the sky, we will meet DarkClan on the island...for the last time."

* * *

"Do we want to bring apprentices?" Rowanwind wondered.

"We will bring the oldest apprentices," Clawstar said. "Webpaw, Nimblepaw, and Sootpaw. The other apprentices are too young."

"I suggest Reedclaw and Crookedfern," Ghostlight said. "They are quite experienced in battle, are they not?"

"Yes, we'll bring Reedclaw and Crookedfern," Clawstar decided. "What about Oakpelt and Rainfur?"

"No," Ghostlight said. "I suggest Thornfur and Wetpelt instead."

Rowanwind could tell that Clawstar did not like the white tom being so adamant on who was going to the final battle. "Ghostlight, could I speak to you, alone, please?"

"Of course," Ghostlight said. He didn't sound the least bit surprised.

The two toms walked away together.

"Clawstar is angry with me," Ghostlight said, matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Rowanwind said, blinking in only slight surprise. "I think you are stepping on his toes, deciding who is going and who is staying behind."

Ghostlight's yellow eyes shown a little in the morning sunlight above. Rowanwind had known this cat for such a short time, but he felt as if the white tom had been around his entire life.

"I understand," Ghostlight said. "I will not 'step on his toes' any longer."

"Thank you," Rowanwind replied.

They headed back to where Clawstar and Frostflower were sitting, waiting for them. Clawstar still looked a little angry when he glanced at Ghostlight.

"I've decided that Thornfur and Wetpelt will go," Clawstar said. "As well as Granitetail and Twigleaf." He turned to Rowanwind. "I would like your help deciding which of our younger warriors will go."

Rowanwind understood that the "younger warriors" were those cats who Rowanwind had grown up with. He began to think of all the cats he grew up with, who were still alive. There was Mistmeadow, Cedarspirit, Cloverpelt, Darkeye, Thunderstripe, Silvermoon, and Gingerheart. He cared for all of them deeply, more so than the senior warriors who had already been chosen to go.

The names of those who he wanted to go came slowly into his head. Rowanwind took a deep breath, realizing that choosing these cats was putting them in the gravest danger any of them had ever faced. "I think Cedarspirit, Cloverpelt, Darkeye, Thunderstripe, and Gingerheart should go."

Clawstar was silent for a few moments. His light green eyes glazed over. Rowanwind realized that Clawstar was thinking about his choices.

"Alright," Clawstar said, finally, as the glazed look in his eyes disappeared. "Cedarspirit, Darkeye, Thunderstripe, and Gingerheart may go."

Rowanwind realized the only cat he had taken from the group was Cloverpelt. He wondered why, but he didn't dare ask. He simply nodded in agreement.

"I believe that is enough of our warriors," Clawstar said. He turned to Frostflower. "Will you go, or are you going to send Maggotstripe in your place?"

Frostflower shook her head roughly. "I will not send Maggotstripe. She has not had enough battle training."

Clawstar nodded solemnly. "Of course. Do you have any suggestions? Any cat we should leave behind, or who we should bring along?"

Frostflower closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No, Clawstar."

"Then it is..." Clawstar started, but Ghostlight interrupted.

"Excuse me," Ghostlight meowed. "But I believe we have forgotten one important ThunderClan warrior. My brother, Dusklight."

Clawstar's ears twitched. "Are you certain you want him there?"

Ghostlight's eyes blazed brighter. "Yes."

Clawstar sighed. "Then it is settled. Reedclaw, Crookedfern, Thornfur, Wetpelt, Twigleaf, Cedarspirit, Darkeye, Thunderstripe, Gingerheart, Dusklight, Webpaw, Nimblepaw, and Sootpaw will encompany the four of us tonight to the final battle against DarkClan."

Rowanwind's insides felt as if they hardened even more than they had earlier. Clawstar's words cut him somewhere deep inside of himself. He knew, somehow, that some of the cats that Clawstar had just named would not be returning to ThunderClan's camp when the war was over.

His anger toward Sly returned, turning his hardened insides into a burning inferno. Rowanwind felt as if flames were ready to burst from inside of his chest.

Sly was as good as dead.

* * *

**End of Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** The final battle is just around the corner! The tension is so thick in the air, you could slice it with a claw. I'm getting really anxious, as I'm sure you, my readers, are. The end is coming closer and closer...


	22. Chapter Twenty

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of them.

* * *

**Chapter 20**

* * *

_Clawstar stood on his rock and looked out at the ThunderClan cats_ and the few kittypets who would be going with them. Francis, Lola, Josephine, and Doodle were going along, whie Whiskerheart was going to stay behind at camp with Maggotstripe.

"Tonight, the war against DarkClan is going to end. Only StarClan knows if we will win or lose," Clawstar began. "Most of us know the prophecy about Rowanwind..."

"Only the ghost of starlight can heed his cause!" Goldenstar's voice echoed through the camp.

"When teeth meet teeth and claws meet claws!" Ashfang's voice said.

"Nine lines he'll have, but no leader's name!" Cottonbrave's young voice called.

"The descendant of Fire, two of the same!" Dapplefoot's soft voice said.

"A ginger tom will rise to conquer the dark," Blackcloud's voice whispered.

"His friend be the apprentice of a lark," Meadowlark's voice meowed.

"Without love, without faith, he will fall," Sprucebark's voice warned.

"Lest the wall of hatred cover you all..." Quickleaf finished.

The ThunderClan cats listened to the voices of their lost loved ones. Their eyes shimmered in the last rays of the sun. So many had died already by DarkClan's claws. Nobody wanted another death to happen, but they all knew that there was a large possibility that those leaving tonight would not come back alive. Clawstar took a deep breath before continuing.

"We must keep our faith alive. We must believe that we will win this war. Without that faith, we will fail. Without that faith, we will fall.

"All we can do is pray to StarClan that they will keep our brave warriors safe during this final battle. We need StarClan's strength tonight like we have never needed it before. We must stand and fight. No matter what the outcome is, at least we will know we have tried our hardest to stop DarkClan.

"It is time to say our good-byes to those who are going off to battle tonight. Do not hesitate to say good-bye to anyone. Some of us may not be coming back."

Rowanwind took a deep breath and looked around. Those who were going off to battle were sitting in a large group. Those ThunderClan cats who were not going were winding through the group, saying their good-byes.

"I can't believe you didn't demand I go," a soft, angry voice said.

Rowanwind turned to see Stormypelt sitting nearby. Her blue eyes were full of tears. Her ears were flat against her head and her tail was lashing angrily.

"Stormypelt," Rowanwind whispered. "You know I couldn't let you go. It's hard enough allowing the others..."

Stormypelt shoved her head beneath his chin, a little roughly. "I feel like I'm never going to see you again!"

Rowanwind wrapped his tail around her and purred, trying to reassure her he was going to be fine. "Listen to me. Don't talk like that. I'm supposed to conquer the dark; and that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to allow Sly to continue his killing spree. DarkClan's reign of terror ends tonight."

Stormypelt rubbed her face against him. "Promise me you'll come back."

"Nothing will keep me from coming back to you," Rowanwind replied. _Not even death_, he thought to himself.

"You can't!" Rainfur's scream caught their attention.

Rowanwind and Stormypelt turned to see Rainfur standing in front of her three kits, facing a weary looking Clawstar.

"I just lost my mate! I can't bare to lose my kits!" Rainfur screamed. "Let me go instead! Let me go instead!"

Ghostlight suddenly appeared. He touched Rainfur's shoulder with his tail-tip and whispered a few words. Rainfur's screams subsided, and the white tom led Rainfur away from her kits and toward the medicine cat's den.

Stormypelt gave a small, frightened mew. Rowanwind pressed himself closer to her, trying to give her comfort.

"Stormypelt, I have to say good-bye to everyone else," Rowanwind whispered to her. "Can you be strong? For me?"

Stormypelt nodded against him before slowing stepping aside. "Please, Rowanwind. Be careful."

"I will," he replied before walking away.

"Rowanwind," Oakpelt said. The tom had just finished saying good-bye to his nieces and nephew. "I'm sorry for all of the trouble I cost you. I...good luck."

"Thank you, Oakpelt," Rowanwind said. He walked on to find himself face to face with Lightdew.

"May I have a word with you?" Lightdew wondered.

"Of course," Rowanwind replied, sitting down.

"I wanted to thank you for not letting my kits go," Lightdew said. "Clawstar said he wouldn't allow them, but I'm glad that you did not speak up. I felt like I was going to lose Purepaw after the badger attack...I don't want to lose him so soon after feeling like I just got him back from the brink of death..."

"You don't need to explain anything, Lightdew," Rowanwind said. "I understand your concern. I would never have suggested bringing Purepaw or Palepaw, especially since Purepaw just finished healing."

"Thank you," Lightdew said, her light green eyes swimming with tears. "And good luck. I'm praying to StarClan that we get through this."

Rowanwind nodded and continued on before being stopped by Mistmeadow, Silvermoon, and Cloverpelt.

"We wanted to wish you luck," Cloverpelt meowed.

"And we're praying to StarClan that you return safely," Mistmeadow added.

"Good luck," Silvermoon meowed softly.

"Thank you," Rowanwind said to the three of them. "It means a lot, coming from all of you."

He thought back to their days as kits and apprentices. These three cats had always been a part of his life. They had survived this war, and they would continue to survive because they were staying in camp, where they would be safe. Rowanwind's paws felt heavier than ever as he padded away.

He spotted Maggotstripe sitting with Purepaw, Palepaw, and Stormpaw. They were the four apprentices being left behind. He went over to them.

"Hello Rowanwind," Maggotstripe said, somberly.

He nodded to her. "How are you four doing?"

Purepaw ran a paw over the left side of his face. "I can't stand it! I can't watch all of you walk out of here, not knowing who is coming back!"

"Or if any of you are coming back at all," Palepaw mewed quietly.

"Don't think like that," Rowanwind told them. He glanced at his nephew, Stormpaw, who was glaring at his father, Oakpelt. Rowanwind's half brother was now talking to Reedclaw and Crookedfern.

"How else are we supposed to think?" Purepaw demanded.

"Don't speak to your mentor like that, Purepaw," Maggotstripe said, batting a paw at his lashing tail.

"You need to have faith, like Clawstar said," Rowanwind told his apprentice. "Pray to StarClan."

"What's the use?" Purepaw asked, putting his head down on his paws.

Palepaw licked her brother's slightly tattered left ear. "Come on, Purepaw. Don't be so grouchy. We have to say good-bye to Rowanwind."

Purepaw sighed. He looked at Rowanwind with his light green eyes, so much like his mother's. "Good-bye, Rowanwind. Please come back."

"I will, don't you worry," Rowanwind told him.

"Good luck, Rowanwind," Purepaw said.

"Yes, good luck," Maggotstripe said. "May StarClan watch over you tonight."

Palepaw glanced at Stormpaw, who still hadn't said anything. She nudged him with her shoulder. He turned to glare at her. "Rowanwind is here. Aren't you going to say good-bye or something?" Palepaw asked.

Stormpaw looked at Rowanwind, his glare softening. "Good-bye, Rowanwind. Be careful tonight, okay?"

"Of course," Rowanwind replied.

Rowanwind walked over to where the two queens, Softcreek and Quickpelt, were lying with Poppyflower.

"Rowanwind!" Quickpelt said, her voice cracking with emotion. She pressed herself against him. "I'm so scared for you! I can't help but feel as if this is the last time I'm going to see you."

"Don't worry, Quickpelt," Rowanwind assured her. "I'll be back."

"Rowanwind," Softcreek said. "I have to tell you that I'm sorry I didn't take your advice and watch Coldkit like I should. It's...well, it's just difficult, knowing that he was born because of Oakpelt's betrayal..."

"You don't need to apologize, Softcreek. You are looking after Coldkit the best that you can," Rowanwind told her.

Softcreek nodded.

"I have to go now," Rowanwind said. He touched his nose to Quickpelt's cheek. "Good-bye, mother. Say a prayer to StarClan for me."

"Every second I can, I will," Quickpelt replied.

Rowanwind waved his tail in good-bye and went over to where Clawstar and Frostflower were seated. Both cats looked weary.

Clawstar turned to Rowanwind. "It is time for us to go."

* * *

Clawstar called forth all of the cats who were going to the final battle against DarkClan. As the cats began to slip through the tunnel, Rowanwind could hear the cats being left behind calling out good-byes.

Clawstar, Frostflower, and Rowanwind took the lead at the head of the group. They led the ThunderClan cats through the forest to the edge of the lake. The moon, which would soon reach its highest point in the sky, was nearly full. The lake was still tonight, reflecting the moon and all the stars in the sky. It was as if their ancestors in StarClan were showing them that they were on the ground tonight, right beside them.

Following the shore of the lake, each step took the ThunderClan cats closer and closer to the island. The heaviness lifted from Rowanwind's body, allowing him to feel the anxiousness and fear coming off his Clanmates in waves.

Soon, almost too soon, the log that allowed them to cross to the island loomed into view. A large crowd of cats sat, waiting, on the shore of the lake. Rowanwind recognized cats from RiverClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and RogueClan. He even saw the kittypets who had come to help them end the war.

The three other leaders and their deputies, as well as Gloom and Smutty, were seated in a circle in front of the log. Clawstar and Rowanwind padded over to them.

"It is time," Clawstar said.

The other cats nodded in agreement.

"Rowanwind," Crimsonstar said, looking at him with her dark blue eyes. "Would you like to say something to all of the Clans? Remind them what it is we are fighting for?"

Rowanwind couldn't help but be surprised at the suggestion, especially when it was coming from Crimsonstar. She had never really approved of Rowanwind being ThunderClan's deputy.

"I don't know," Rowanwind replied, unsheathing and sheathing his claws nervously. "I'm not really sure what I would say to them."

"You can do it, Rowanwind. You've battled badgers and crows and spoken to StarClan," Clawstar said. "If anybody can get us all into the mood to fight, it is you."

Rowanwind took a deep breath. "If you are all so sure..."

"We could ask no one else," Featherstar said.

"You are the most qualified," Angelstar agreed.

Clawstar gestured at the log with his tail. "Go on, Rowanwind."

Reminding himself to breathe, Rowanwind walked over to the log. He clawed his way to a spot where he could see the entire crowd of cats spread out before him. His yellow eyes scanned the gathering, picking out faces he knew. He easily spotted Brownclaw, Smokefrost, and Willowsky, all of Stormypelt's siblings, sitting with their parents, Francis and Lola, and Pineroot as well. Violet, Tulip, Franklin, and Jenny were seated with the RiverClan cats. Murry, Rudy, and Neeko were sitting on the outskirts of the WindClan cats. Andy, Oliver, and Casey were mingled in with the ShadowClan cats. Many other faces brought names to Rowanwind's mind: Timberpelt and Torchfur of RiverClan, Rippletail and Blackshadow of ShadowClan, Robinclaw and Cloudpool of WindClan. These were cats he knew, who lived lives feeding and defending their Clans in the same way he did.

Rowanwind took a final, steadying breath before he spoke. "Remember why we are here tonight. We are here to rid our homes of a plague of cats who call themselves DarkClan. They have attacked us, angered us, humiliated and defeated us. But they have underestimated us, as well!

"We have all of our ancestors in StarClan watching over us tonight, from those who first brought us to these territories around the lake, to those who have died fighting in this war. Each time we send a prayer to the heavens, our ancestors give us strength, they give us wisdom, they give us the courage to stand up and defend our very existence...to defend the warrior code!"

The cats gathered below him yowled in agreement.

"We must not forget that tonight, of all nights. We must hold that knowledge in our hearts, our minds, our very souls. The moment we forget that we have the ability to overcome anything, as long as we work together, as long as we stand side by side, then everything is lost. We must remember the strength, wisdom, and courage that StarClan bestows upon each and every one of us!"

There was another rumble of yowls beneath him.

"So let us go forth onto the island where we gather every full moon, a sacred spot that the evil cats of DarkClan have forsaken. Let us fight like we have never fought before! Let us rid ourselves of DarkClan forever, so that we may reclaim our territories and continue our lives the way they were meant to be lived!"

The yowling was even louder this time.

Clawstar, Crimsonstar, Angelstar, Featherstar, and Gloom hoisted themselves up to stand on the branches around Rowanwind.

"ThunderClan!" Clawstar yowled.

"ShadowClan!" Crimsonstar yelled.

"WindClan!" Angelstar meowed.

"RiverClan!" Featherstar screeched.

"RogueClan!" Gloom rasped.

"ATTACK!" they all screamed together.

The five Clans, and all of their kittypet allies, surged forward.

* * *

**End of Chapter Twenty**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Oh. My. Gosh. Was that not one of the best speeches I've ever written? I do believe it is. Rowanwind knew just the right words to say to get the cats ready to fight! Hold on to your seats, dear readers...the final battle is about to begin!


	23. Chapter Twenty One

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of them.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

* * *

_The huge crowd of lake Clan cats and their allies burst into the clearing_ of the island. The nearly full moon shone down on them, casting the scene in a silvery sheen of light. Rowanwind looked around, searching and searching for the DarkClan cats. They were probably hiding themselves in the shadows up underneath the leaves of the trees.

"You came," a now familiar voice hissed.

Two, orange eyes blinked open in the tree where the lake Clan leaders usually sat to report during gatherings.

The cats around Rowanwind stepped aside, leaving him in a small, open space all by himself. A shiver ran down Rowanwind's spine. The end was coming.

"You thought we wouldn't?" Rowanwind spat.

Sly chuckled. His orange eyes seemed to grow brighter. "It would have been so much easier to pick you all off, one by one. But, it seems the easiest way out is not an option any longer."

"It might not be easy," Rowanwind said, "but we aren't giving up until your Clan is destroyed for good!"

"Well, then," Sly meowed. "We will just have to see how that works out."

Eyes began to appear in the darkness of the trees. Rowanwind couldn't remember ever seeing so many DarkClan cats at one time. Had they somehow found more allies? Had they brought more dark-pelted kittypets to aide them?

"Multiplication," Ghostlight's voice said, right beside Rowanwind.

"What?" Rowanwind hissed.

"It is one of the hardest, most difficult, spells possible with magick," Ghostlight explained. "It takes major concentration of at least six or more cats." Ghostlight looked at Rowanwind with worry in his yellow eyes. "They have copied themselves and made more living, breathing DarkClan cats. I believe we are outnumbered."

"Is there any way to..to..get rid of the copies?" Rowanwind asked.

"Yes," Dusklight said, appearing beside them. "The copies are made of magick. They might seem like they are living and breathing, but they are not. I remember learning about this spell when I was with DarkClan. There are two ways to kill the copies. Hit them directly on the chest...or kill the original they were copied from."

"We need to let everyone know," Rowanwind said. "Pass it on!"

The whispering started up. Rowanwind, Ghostlight, and Dusklight whispered the news to as many cats near them as possible. Those cats began to whisper to others and others until everyone knew just what they had to do.

"Are you ready to die, light-demons?" Sly's voice echoed throughout the clearing.

"Are you?" Rowanwind demanded in reply.

"Attack!" Sly screamed furiously.

The eyes attached themselves to the bodies of cats, badgers, and crows. Rowanwind realized suddenly just how dangerous this battle was going to be. They were going to have to try to hit some of those badgers and crows in the chest to kill them.

How many cats were going to get seriously injured, or die, trying to do that?

A black tom leaped and landed heavily on Rowanwind. With a mighty hiss, Rowanwind shoved the tom off of him and slashed his paw at the tom's chest. The tom rolled away and got back onto his feet.

"Stupid light-demon!" the tom sneered. "You think you're all high and mighty!"

"Like you are?" Rowanwind scoffed.

The tom snarled and swiped. Rowanwind dodged the tom's paw, feinted with his left, and smacked the tom across the face with his right. Three, oozing scratches appeared on the tom's cheek. With a ferocious snarl, the tom reared up and attempted to slash at Rowanwind with both of his paws. Waiting for just the right moment, Rowanwind swung his paw and sliced into the tom's chest. With a howl of pain, the tom disappeared into a cloud of dark smoke.

"Copy," Rowanwind whispered.

He chanced a look around the clearing. Every single cat was locked in battle with at least one DarkClan tom, she-cat, badger, or crow. There was a sudden plume of dark smoke and a howl of pain off to his right. Orangefoot of WindClan and Neeko the kittypet had just taken out a copy.

There was a caw above him, and sharp talons suddenly snatched at his back. Rowanwind rolled onto his back and slashed out at the crow. A claw connected and feathers flew down around him. The crow flapped, attempting to fly higher, but Rowanwind flipped onto his feet and leapt. His paws caught the crow's shoulders, sending the crow crashing to the grassy floor. Rowanwind unsheathed his claws and held on tight as the crow flapped around and cawed in pain. It suddenly turned its head around and tried to peck at his eyes, but Rowanwind let go. The crow flapped away.

Gingerheart was suddenly at Rowanwind's side. "I have an idea, Rowanwind! I have an idea!"

"What? What is it?" Rowanwind asked.

"Do you know what a deer is?" Gingerheart asked anxiously. "They come into the forest every once in a while to eat the leaves and moss off the trees!"

"Yes. What about them?" Rowanwind asked.

"They're brown. Like me!" Gingerheart lashed her tail through the air. "They have hooves, Rowanwind. Hooves that can do very serious damage!"

Rowanwind thought about it. Yes, deers did have hooves. They were also brown, just like Gingerheart. "You want me to turn you into a deer?" Rowanwind gasped.

"Yes! There are others who can be turned into badgers, foxes, and deer!" Gingerheart gestured at the battle with her tail.

"Okay," Rowanwind said. "Gangohhoeht as e tooh."

He watched in amazement as Gingerheart began to grow and grow, until she was the size of a deer. Her fur and tail grew short. Her ears grew bigger and a little floppy. He watched as her eyes changed from light brown eyes with slitted pupils to the large, black eyes of a deer.

"Hurry, Rowanwind! Changing us into more dangerous creatures will give us a better advantage!" Gingerheart said before trampling off.

Knowing that Granitetail was a good candidate to become a badger, as he had already been made one before, Rowanwind looked around for his Clanmate. He spotted the tom across the clearing, battling a badger.

"Ghenatoteal as e betgoh," Rowanwind said, and watched as Granitetail grew and grew into a badger.

The badger Granitetail was fighting reared up onto its hind legs in surprise. Granitetail's new claws swiped forward and dug into the DarkClan badger's chest. It disappeared into a plume of dark smoke.

Rowanwind looked around, searching for cats who could become badgers, foxes, or deer. He watched Brownclaw tackle a slender she-cat to the ground, dodging the she-cat's paw swipes. Brownclaw's pelt was a mottled brown and gray. Was he brown enough to resemble a deer?

"Bhuwnclew as e tooh!" Rowanwind whispered, dodging out of the way as Brambletongue of ShadowClan and Oliver the kittypet chased a hopping DarkClan crow.

Rowanwind didn't look back to see if Brownclaw had transformed. He looked for other cats who he could change into more dangerous creatures. Cedarspirit's bright orange pelt caught his attention.

"Cotehspahat as e fux," Rowanwind said.

Blackshadow of ThunderClan appeared. A crow was chasing him, clawing at the fur on his back. Rowanwind suddenly realized that he had forgetten that there were lake Clan cats with pelts dark enough to be turned into crows. Blackshadow was one of them!

"Bleckshetuw as e chuw!" Rowanwind shouted.

He watched as Blackshadow became a crow. The tom opened his wings and turned on the crow chasing him, which spun around and flew off in its surprise.

Rowanwind realized he needed more badgers. He looked around for toms and she-cats with gray pelts. He spotted Timberpelt of RiverClan and Stoneriver of WindClan, a she-cat and tom with pelts of gray fur.

"Tambohpolt ent Stunohavoh eho betgohs!" Rowanwind said.

Rowanwind was unable to find more candidates to turn into stronger, more dangerous animals because he was suddenly toppled to the ground by a dark gray tom.

"Gore!" Rowanwind realized, seeing the tom's amber eyes glaring at him.

"Remember me?" Gore sneered. He slashed out a paw at Rowanwind, hitting him in the face. Rowanwind felt blood ooze from the scratches left behind. "You stupid light-demons think that everything is about you! DarkClan was created to get rid of you filthy, vile creatures. You have no right to call yourselves cats!"

Rowanwind snarled at the tom. "You have no idea what you're saying! DarkClan was created by a cat who was once part of a Clan that lived beside our Clans! We have ancestors that once walked the heavens together!"

"Liar!" Gore screeched, slamming his paws into Rowanwind's shoulders.

They rolled across the ground, slashing and spitting at one another. Gore landed on Rowanwind, knocking the air out of his lungs. Rowanwind wheezed but was unable to draw breath back into his body.

Gore's amber eyes blazed above his face. "You don't deserve to be here!"

"And neither do you!"

A badger came barreling toward them. His massive head collided with Gore's haunches, sending the tom flying. When Gore landed, he did not get up.

Rowanwind gasped for breath. His chest burned with each life giving breath. "Who...?" he asked, unable to distinguish who the badger was that had just saved his life.

"It's me," the badger reliped. "Granitetail."

"Thank you," Rowanwind rasped as Granitetail helped him to his feet.

"It wasn't your time to die," Granitetail replied. "Speaking of that...Rowanwind, Webpaw is hurt. Badly. Frostflower looked her over really quick. She isn't going to make it. Frostflower thinks that Clawstar should give her a warrior name before she passes to StarClan."

"No!" Rowanwind gasped out, thinking back to Rainfur screeching that she couldn't bare to lose any of her kits so soon after losing her mate.

"We need to find Clawstar," Granitetail said, his voice weary.

"No," Rowanwind said. It felt as if his insides, which had been burning seconds ago, were being squeezed.

"Come on, Rowanwind! Focus!" Granitetail said, nudging Rowanwind's shoulder with one of his massive paws.

Rowanwind shook his head. "Where is Webpaw?"

"Over there," Granitetail said, gesturing with one of his paws.

"I'll find Clawstar. You keep fighting," Rowanwind told the tom. "Keep fighting!"

"I won't stop," Granitetail promised. He lumbered away, giving out a tremendous battle roar.

Rowanwind sped over to a tree and clawed his way up until he could see the entire battle. His eyes scanned the cats spread out...fighting...clawing...screeching...there! He could see Clawstar clawing at the haunches of a she-cat. He jumped down from the tree and sped over to his leader.

"Clawstar!" Rowanwind called.

The she-cat Clawstar was attacking disappeared as Clawstar paused and turned toward him.

"What is it, Rowanwind?" Clawstar demanded. "Are we losing?"

"No," Rowanwind replied. "It's Webpaw. She's been fatally wounded. Frostflower thinks you should give her a warrior name before she passes on."

"Bring me to her!" Clawstar shouted.

Rowanwind raced away, Clawstar beside him. They skidded to a stop beside a bloody Webpaw. The apprentice was wheezing, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Frostflower sat beside her. Nimblepaw and Sootpaw were standing nearby.

"Webpaw!" Rowanwind gasped out. "Clawstar is here!"

Webpaw's eyes turned around, but she had no strength to lift her head.

"I, Clawstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on Webpaw. She has trained hard to understand the way of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn," Clawstar said. "Webpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I...do," Webpaw gasped out.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forward, you will be forever known as Webpelt. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Go now in peace to StarClan, Webpelt."

"Thank you," Webpelt said on her last dying breath.

"No!" Nimblepaw screamed. She spun to look at her brother beside her. "How could you have let this happen? You were standing right there beside her, and you didn't even try to stop him from killing her!"

Sootpaw's ears flattened against his head as his sister screamed at him.

"Nimblepaw, enough!" Clawstar yelled. "Get back into the fight! Both of you!"

The two apprentices ran off in different directions.

"Get back into the fighting!" Clawstar shouted, disappearing after a few DarkClan crows.

Frostflower glanced at Rowanwind briefly before racing off herself.

Rowanwind couldn't bare to look at Webpelt's lifeless body. He turned away and went to help Francis and Lola tear at a crow.

"NO!"

The shout caught Rowanwind's attention, as well as some other cats. A few turned to see Graytail feriously snapping at the neck of a tom. Behind Graytail lay the motionless body of Angelstar. A tingle of shock went through Rowanwind. Not Angelstar! Not one of their leaders!

There was a screech of pain very close to Rowanwind. He spun the other way and watched Rippletail of ShadowClan disappear beneath two black toms. A few moments later, the toms raced away, and Rippletail's lifeless body was left behind.

Rowanwind began to pant with fright. Cats were dying to his left and right. He'd changed some of them into more dangerous animals, but it didn't seem to be helping!

He was beginning to lose hope.

* * *

**End of Chapter Twenty One**


	24. Chapter Twenty Two

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of them.

* * *

**Chapter 22**

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"_Don't give up, Rowanwind. Don't give up!" a familiar voice whispered_ in his ear. He turned to see Deathmask standing beside him. "You're the only one who can end this forever. You have to keep going!"

"Have faith in yourself!" Rowanwind turned to see Firestar standing nearby. A gray tom he did not recognize stood beside him. "Keep going, Rowanwind!"

Rowanwind felt strength flow into his legs. He stopped panting and began to look around, trying to find someone who he could help. Rapidriver of RiverClan was having diffulty against a DarkClan tom.

Rowanwind dug his claws into the tom's haunches and flung him away. The cat screeched and sped off.

"Thank you, Rowanwind," Rapidriver panted.

Rowanwind nodded before turning away to leap onto another crow. He toppled the crow out of the sky and into the ground. Rowanwind slashed at the bird's back, clawing out feather after feather. He ignored the creature's wild squawking.

"Rowanwind, look out!" Lionstorm's voice yelped.

Rowanwind didn't have time to turn. Something collided with his side, and he went flipping off of the crow and across the grass. He looked up to see a badger storming toward him, murder in its beady, black eyes.

There was a mighty screech as Rapidriver came flying out of nowhere. The blue-gray tom struck the badger's head with full force. The badger reared up onto its hind legs and its front paws came crashing down on Rapidriver's back. Rowanwind clearly heard the crack as Rapidriver's spine was shattered.

"NO!" Rowanwind screeched.

Two badgers came rushing over. They slammed themselves into the badger that had just killed RiverClan's deputy.

Rowanwind shook himself and raced away from Rapidriver's broken body. So much death! So much death! He couldn't bare this any longer!

"Rowanwind! Rowanwind!"

A dark blur darted in front of him, making him skid to a stop.

"Rowanwind, what are you doing?" Thunderstripe demanded.

"I can't take it anymore!" Rowanwind screamed.

"Rowanwind, be strong!" Thunderstripe said. "Be strong! Remember why we are here tonight. We are here to rid our homes of a plague of cats who call themselves DarkClan! Remember, Rowanwind!"

Rowanwind squeezed his eyes shut. "Thunderstripe, I don't know if I can do this!"

"I believe in you, Rowanwind! We all believe in you!" Thunderstripe said. "Now get in there and fight like you've never fought before!"

"Reedclaw! NO!" Darkeye's voice caught their ears.

The two best friends turned to see a DarkClan tom jerk Reedclaw's neck. There was a loud pop, and Reedclaw's body slumped to the ground, his light yellow eyes blank and unseeing.

"Darkeye!" Thunderstripe yelped as his brother darted in and leaped on the tom who had just killed Reedclaw. Thunderstripe gave a loud caterwaul and sped off to join his brother in avenging Reedclaw's death.

Rowanwind heard a cat screech in pain and turned to see a deer toss another DarkClan tom using a wide set of antlers. It was Brownclaw! While Gingerheart hadn't grown antlers when Rowanwind had turned her into a deer, Brownclaw had. Rowanwind couldn't believe he hadn't noticed earlier.

A DarkClan tom rushed at him. Rowanwind rolled out of the way. The tom came after him again. Rowanwind got to his feet and hissed at the tom, who snarled back.

"Die, light-demon!"

Rowanwind darted in, feinted with his left paw, and hit the tom in the chest with his right. The tom disappeared in a plume of dark smoke.

"Stupid copies," Rowanwind muttered.

He heard a strange, gurgled bellow. Rowanwind turned all the way around and watched a badger fall to its side. Blood oozed out of deep gashes in its stomach. In utter shock, Rowanwind watched as the badger slowly changed into Stoneriver of WindClan. The DarkClan badger standing over him bellowed in triumph before getting charged by another badger, who Rowanwind assumed was Timberpelt of RiverClan.

Rowanwind turned away and raced off. Three crows suddenly descended upon him. Sharp talons snatched at his fur. He could feel the talons ripping at his flesh. Rowanwind darted left and right, trying to rid himself of the crows after him.

There was a loud growl and two of the three crows were slammed out of the air by the paw of a massive badger.

"You owe me!" Granitetail shouted, batting the third crow out of the air.

A tom came speeding up and launched himself at Granitetail. His claws dug into Granitetail's muscular shoulders. Granitetail swiped at the cat, but he could not reach him.

Rowanwind leaped up and latched on to the tom. The tom let go and slashed at Rowanwind as they fell to the ground. Rowanwind got his feet under him and slammed a paw on top of the tom's head. The tom hissed and raced away.

"There! We're even!" Rowanwind said over the screeches of the battle around them.

Granitetail spun away and lumbered off to help Josephine and Doodle dispath of two DarkClan she-cats.

A brown blur suddenly flashed past Rowanwind. He watched Lionstorm as he raced over to a pile of dark-pelted cats. Rowanwind realized with a jolt that the DarkClan cats were all piled on top of someone. Lionstorm dug his claws into the shoulders of the toms, trying to fling them out of the way. Rowanwind raced over to help him. It took them a few tries, but the DarkClan cats finally darted away.

Rowanwind looked down to see the completely still, brown and ginger body of Torchfur. Lionstorm's body stiffened.

"Torchfur?" Lionstorm mewed, placing a paw on his old mentor's shoulder and shaking him. "Torchfur?"

Rowanwind remembered the feeling when he had realized he'd lost Ashfang. His heart constricted as Lionstorm began to shake Torchfur even more roughly.

"Torchfur! Torchfur, wake up!" Lionstorm meowed, his voice cracking.

"Lionstorm, stop!" Rowanwind said. "He's gone."

"NO!" Lionstorm screeched. "They'll pay for this!"

Rowanwind watched the brown tom run off. He knew exactly how Lionstorm was feeling. He spotted a white flash of fur and realized that Cloudpool, Lionstorm's mate, was running after him.

"What happ...oh, no!"

He turned and looked up at Gingerheart. The she-cat's deer body was oozing blood, but she didn't seem to notice. Her black eyes were staring down at Torchfur.

"No," Gingerheart said softly. "Oh, poor Lionstorm."

"I know how he feels," Rowanwind muttered.

Gingerheart gave a small sob. "Do you think we're winning, Rowanwind?"

"I'm not sure," Rowanwind replied.

"I'll get back to the fight," Gingerheart said, and she turned away.

Rowanwind raced off. He clawed at a tom who had Rudy the kittypet beneath him. He went and helped Thornfur and Brambletongue of ShadowClan take out three she-cats who didn't seem to want to surrender. All three of them disappeared in plumes of smoke.

Dusklight and Ghostlight suddenly appeared as Thornfur and Brambletongue ran off to find someone else to fight.

"I think we underestimated DarkClan," Ghostlight meowed.

"They are creating copies as fast as we are killing them!" Dusklight added.

"That's not good," Rowanwind said. "Hold on."

He turned and helped Robinclaw hold down a DarkClan tom so that she could slash the tom in the chest. The cat disappeared into smoke.

"Thanks!" Robinclaw gasped out. A gash above her eye was oozing blood into her eye.

"You need to go have that looked at!" Rowanwind told her. "Find one of the medicine cats!"

"Alright!" Robinclaw said, running off.

Dusklight padded over. "What are we going to do about the copies? We need to figure out what cats they are using to keep making the copies!"

"We can use a magick detection spell," Ghostlight said. "It will show us where the magick is coming from."

"Sounds good to me!" Rowanwind said as Flower and Flicker, the two youngest cats in RogueClan, ran by after a crow.

"Fant tho megack, fant ats suuhco!" Ghostlight chanted.

"Fant tho megack, fant ats suuhco!" Dusklight spoke.

"Fant tho megack, fant ats suuhco!" Rowanwind added his voice in.

Three separate glows, each a different color, came out of their mouths. Ghostlight's pearly white glow collided with Dusklight's musty gray glow before coming in contact with Rowanwind's sun orange glow. The newly combined glows suddenly shot off into six different directions, hitting six different DarkClan cats and lighting their dark pelts up.

"Get the glowing cats!" Rowanwind screamed.

"Get the glowing cats!" Ghostlight and Dusklight caterwauled with him.

"Get the glowing cats!" other voice began to chime in.

Rowanwind went after one of the glowing toms. He leaped and dug his claws into the cat's haunches, dragging him to the ground. The tom screamed in pain. Rowanwind turned and kicked the tom in the face, causing his head to whip around. The tom fell to the ground and did not rise. The glow around his body shot upward and disappeared.

He turned to see Ghostlight and Dusklight take out a second of the glowing cats. Another fell beneath two badgers. A fourth went down beneath a pile of kittypets.

Rowanwind was distracted by another badger. He dodged as its massive claw swiped down at him. He yelled for help. His shout was answered by Tiger from RogueClan. The brown and black tabby tom launched himself onto the badger's back, distracting him long enough for Rowanwind to stab at its chest. The tom disappeared into smoke, causing Tiger to fall to the ground.

"Thanks for the help," Rowanwind said.

"You're very welcome," Tiger replied before racing away.

Thunderstripe suddenly appeared. "Rowanwind! Crookedfern needs your help! He's fighting Sly!"

"Where?" Rowanwind demanded.

Thunderstripe gestured with his tail.

Rowanwind raced off. He skidded to a stop in time to see Crookedfern tackle Sly to the ground. Sly was large, but he was not as big as Crookedfern, nor as skilled. Crookedfern pressed his paws into Sly's shoulders.

"Crookedfern!" someone called out, distracting the huge ThunderClan tom.

Sly suddenly sat up. Crookedfern was tossed to the ground. In an instant, Sly was back on his feet. Rowanwind watched the black tom's orange eyes become a blaze of heat. His paw came up to swipe at Crookedfern...

Rowanwind leaped and toppled into Sly. The two of them rolled away. Sly was on his feet once again before Rowanwind had even finished rolling. Rowanwind jumped to his feet and swiped at Sly's face. The DarkClan leader dodged and smacked Rowanwind across his face.

"You stupid light-demon! I was about to finish him off!" Sly said.

Before Rowanwind could reply, Sly slashed out again and his paw connected with his cheek. Rowanwind's head spun with the force of the blow. His already bloody cheek began to ooze blood once again.

"No, if you don't mind, I would like to finish my victim off!" Sly sneered. The tom spun away and stalked toward Crookedfern, who was desperately trying to stand.

Rowanwind turned just in time to see Sly press his paws into Crookedfern's shoulders. Sly bent down to whisper something into Crookedfern's ear. Crookedfern snarled back at him. Sly jerked Crookedfern's neck. There was a loud, sickening pop and Crookedfern's head flopped to the ground.

"NO!" Rowanwind shouted.

A white flash of fur appeared, and Sly was suddenly hit. He and the white blur went rolling. Sly was on his feet again in a flash, but so was the white blur. Rowanwind realized it was Ghostlight. The white tom's entire pelt was standing up, the fur on his neck bristling the most.

_It is time, Rowanwind_, he heard Ghostlight's voice say in his head. _It is time for me to weaken Sly. And then...you can go in for the kill._

* * *

**End of Chapter Twenty Two**

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**Author's Notes:** I know this might make some of you a bit angry, but I'm not going to update any more chapters until the story is completely finished. It's a total cliffhanger at this point! dun dun dunnnn While you're waiting, why not review? I love it when my email inbox gets flooded with alerts that I have reviews. I mean, who doesn't? So hold on to your horses and be patient while the last few chapters are spun out of my head and onto my computer. Remember, I'm just as anxious as all of you, my readers, to find out what happens next! Ciao, for now.


	25. Chapter Twenty Three

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of them.

**Author's Notes:** And here they are...the very last three chapters of Warriors Descended! What else can I say, other than...please enjoy!

_Warning_: This chapter does get gruesome, especially at the end.

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**Chapter 23**

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"_What have we here?" Sly asked, his orange eyes glinting maliciously._ "A full light-demon who thinks he can defeat me?"

Ghostlight sneered. "I can't believe you wouldn't recognize one of the kits you killed! Then again, you've killed so many that you must have lost track!"

Sly's eyes flashed dangerously. "What? You can't be serious! I only killed one kit who had fur as white as yours, and I made sure it was dead!"

Ghostlight laughed. "I am being watched over by the ancestors in StarClan. They gave me nine lives. I have eight left...enough to ensure your death!"

Sly screamed in frustration and leaped at Ghostlight. The two collided and rolled across the grass. Rowanwind watced as they swiped at each other. His heart began to pound as Sly slammed Ghostlight to the ground.

_Stay back, Rowanwind! This is my battle, for now,_ Ghostlight's voice said in his mind.

Sly's paws found Ghostlight's neck. The white tom struggled beneath the black tom. Rowanwind watched in horror as the life was squeezed out of Ghostlight. The white tom took one last breath and his body slumped.

"Fool," Sly snarled. "I don't believe in your StarClan!"

Rowanwind wanted to charge at Sly, who was turning away from Ghostlight, but his paws felt like they were stuck to the ground.

Sly caught sight of Rowanwind. His lips pulled back in an evil smile.

"Well, well," Sly said with a laugh. "Is it time already?"

There was a sudden gasp behind Sly. The DarkClan leader spun around to see Ghostlight rising to his paws.

"No! Impossible!" Sly screamed.

Ghostlight gave a bitter laugh. "How many times do you have to kill me to believe in StarClan?"

Sly snarled and tackled Ghostlight. Rowanwind couldn't help but watch as Sly tried to choke Ghostlight again. This time, Ghostlight kicked out with his back paws and knocked Sly aside.

"I have seven more lives!" Ghostlight taunted. "How many do you have? Oh, that's right! Only one!"

Sly gave another cry of frustration. He swung a paw and sliced Ghostlight's shoulder open. Blood oozed out, slowly. Ghostlight swung at Sly, but the large tom dodged out of the way. He reared up and slammed his paws into Ghostlight's side. Ghostlight rolled away, but he quickly got back onto his feet.

"You don't deserve to live, light-demon! This StarClan you speak of is only in your imagination!" Sly said.

"You have much to learn," Ghostlight replied. "StarClan is as real as you and me."

"Liar," Sly laughed. He swung his paw and tossed Ghostlight to the ground once again.

Rowanwind cringed as Sly jumped onto Ghostlight's back. Sly's large paws caught Ghostlight's head. There was a pop as Ghostlight's neck broke.

"Stay dead!" Sly hissed into Ghostlight's ear. The DarkClan leader climbed off of Ghostlight's motionless body. "Stupid light-demon."

Rowanwind took in a deep breath. He hadn't realized he'd stopped breathing as he watched the two toms battle.

"That took two of his lives," Dusklight whispered. His claws unsheathed, but the black tom did not move froward from where he stood next to Rowanwind. Dusklight glanced at Rowanwind. "He only has five left."

There was another gasp, and then Ghostlight was leaping at Sly again. The two toms rolled together, hissing and clawing. Both tried to get the upperhand, but Sly won.

Ghostlight was slammed to the ground again. Sly pressed his paws into Ghostlight's throat again.

"Why won't you _die_?" Sly hissed into Ghostlight's face.

Rowanwind slumped to his stomach, unable to stand any longer. Ghostlight was dying again. He watched the light of life leave Ghostlight's yellow eyes. Rowanwind barely noticed that Sly was breathing heavily. FOUR LIVES LEFT RIGHT NOW

"Rowanwind! Rowanwind!"

The familiar voice was hardly heard through the pounding of his heart in his ears.

"Rowanwind!" Thunderstripe skidded to a stop beside him. "It's Clawstar! Rowanwind, he's losing his last life!"

A strange warmth suddenly flooded through Rowanwind's body. He pushed himself to his paws. "Lead me to him, Thunderstripe."

Thunderstripe turned and streaked away. Rowanwind followed, leaving Dusklight behind to watch Ghostlight and Sly continue fighting.

Rowanwind's best friend led him to the foot of the tree where the leaders spoke during Gatherings. Clawstar was lying in a patch of moonlight beneath the tree. His gray fur was covered in patches of oozing blood that glistened in the moonlight. Wetpelt and Cedarspirit were sitting beside him. When they saw Rowanwind walk up, the two of them stepped aside.

"Clawstar," Rowanwind whispered, sitting beside his leader's head.

Clawstar's mint green eyes opened...eyes that reminded Rowanwind so much of Ashfang. A small purr escaped from Clawstar. "Rowanwind. You...made it."

"I couldn't let you to go on to StarClan without saying good-bye," Rowanwind whispered. He bent over Clawstar's head. "I'm very glad that you chose me as your deputy."

Clawstar sighed. "That...was Ashfang's...doing. I was...going to choose...someone else..."

"I know," Rowanwind whispered. "But you decided to listen to Ashfang's sign. You could just as easily have ignored it."

"Not...when it came from...my daughter," Clawstar said. His breathing was getting more shallow by the moment. Clawstar looked straight into Rowanwind's eyes. "I'm very proud...of you...Rowanwind. I know you...you will be an...excellent leader."

Rowanwind's eyes stung with tears. "I will be the best leader I can be, Clawstar."

"I know that," Clawstar whispered. His voice grew weaker. "You are...the one in the prophecy...I believe in you, Rowanwind...go...destroy the dark..."

"I promise I will," Rowanwind replied. "Go in peace to StarClan, Clawstar."

Clawstar's last breath left his body. His green eyes slowly closed. Rowanwind watched as the shimmering form of Clawstar's spirit appeared. The newest member of StarClan bowed his head to Rowanwind. Rowanwind reached down and touched the cold, torn ear of his dead leader. He looked up in time to see Clawstar's spirit walk up the beam of moonlight and up into the sky to his new home in StarClan.

Rowanwind turned to Thunderstripe, Wetpelt, and Cedarspirit. "It is time for me to fulfill the prophecy. It is time to conquer the dark."

"Good luck, Rowanwind," Thunderstripe meowed.

"May StarClan watch over you," Wetpelt added.

Cedarspirit walked forward and touched Rowanwind's ear with his nose. "May all the courage of ThunderClan, the speed of WindClan, the pride of ShadowClan, and the cleverness of RiverClan go with you, as well."

"Thank you," Rowanwind them.

Rowanwind began to walk away. He stopped, turned back around, and went to Thunderstripe. "If I don't survive this..."

"Don't talk like that!" Thunderstripe said. "You're going to do this."

Rowanwind pressed his cheek to Thunderstripe's. "If I don't survive this, tell Stormypelt I love her."

Thunderstripe yellow eyes filled with tears. "Of course."

Rowanwind cuffed Thunderstripe's ear. "I love you and Gingerheart, too."

A small laugh escaped from Thunderstripe. "We know." His whiskers twitched as he gestured with his tail. "Your destiny awaits, Rowanwind."

Rowanwind took one last look at his best friend before hurrying off. He skidded to a stop beside Dusklight.

Dusklight didn't take his eyes off the two battling toms. "Rowanwind, he only has two lives left."

That meant Ghostlight had lost another life while Rowanwind had gone to say good-bye to Clawstar.

"Rowanwind," Dusklight meowed. "He's going to sacrifice himself."

Rowanwind's heart wrenched. He'd known all along that Ghostlight was going to sacrifice himself, but he'd never stopped to think how that would affect Dusklight. The two brothers had just recently found one another again, and now they were going to be split up again. And this time, there was no possible way for Ghostlight to come back.

"I should have seen this coming," Dusklight meowed.

Rowanwind turned to watch Sly and Ghostlight still fighting. Ghostlight's fur was splotched with blood. His tail had a kink in it that hadn't been there before. One of his ears was practically torn off, allowing blood to trickle down the side of his face. Sly was panting heavily. One of his own ears was torn. Whiskers were missing from his face. He had a deep gash in his left shoulder that wouldn't stop oozing. There was a second, more shallow cut on his left flank. Neither of the toms were speaking now.

Sly reared up and slammed himself down on top of Ghostlight. Rowanwind winced as the claws of Sly's right front paw scored down Ghostlight's back, leaving three new cuts on Ghostlight that began to bleed profusely.

Ghostlight's body convulsed suddenly. Sly slinked around Ghostlight, limping on his left front leg.

"What's going on?" Rowanwind whispered to Dusklight.

"Ghostlight has lost too much blood," Dusklight mewed. "He's dying again."

Rowanwind's heart sank to his paws. One more life lost, and Ghostlight would be gone forever. He couldn't let that happen! Rowanwind was about to spring forward, when Ghostlight came back to life one last time.

Ghostlight suddenly gasped out, "Tu nut muvo!"

Rowanwind's entire body froze. He tugged his paws, but he could not move. He screamed out in frustration. Ghostlight wasn't allowing him to help!

_As you know your destiny, Rowanwind, I know mine,_ Ghostlight's voice filled his head. _It is my time to leave this world. It is supposed to happen this way._

"No!" Dusklight screamed in agony. Rowanwind realized that Dusklight was tugging at his own paws, unable to move as well.

They were forced to stand and watch as Sly circled Ghostlight. The white tom stood up, shakily, and bravely faced down the cat he knew would be his murderer.

"Your time has come," Sly hissed. His orange eyes were glowing impatiently in the moonlight. "Are you scared, light-demon, of your death?"

"No," Ghostlight said. "You have no power over me, Sly. You've never had any power over me. I welcome my destiny."

Sly gave a laugh and jumped. Ghostlight rolled onto his back and clawed at Sly's exposed belly. Sly's laugh died away as Ghostlight's claws connected with flesh. Warm blood splattered Ghostlight. Sly landed heavily on his feet. With a mighty caterwaul, he rose onto his hind legs. Blood splattered the ground from his new wound. Sly's claws came down on Ghostlight, ripping him open. Blood poured onto the grass.

"NO!" Dusklight screamed.

Sly crept away, laughing. "He's dead! He's finally dead!"

Rowanwind's paws were suddenly free. Dusklight rushed forward. Not caring about his brother's blood spreading out in a pool on the grass, Dusklight lay beside his brother's head.

"Ghostlight, no!" Dusklight whispered. "Please! I can't lose you!"

Ghostlight's yellow eyes fluttered. "I will watch over you. Fuhovoh, bhuthoh."

Rowanwind understood the words as, "Forever, brother."

The white tom's eyes closed forever. Dusklight's shoulders began to heave with sobs. A red hot rage filled Rowanwind. It was time. Sly had caused the death of too many.

It was Sly's turn to die.

* * *

Rowanwind turned away from the two brothers. Sly was still creeping around, laughing. Behind him he left a trail of glistening blood. Rowanwind could hear the tom whispering, "Dead! He's dead! I killed him! No cat can defeat me!"

"Want to bet?" Rowanwind snarled.

Sly stopped pacing and turned to Rowanwind. His orange eyes glittered with anticipation. "Has it finally come? Are you here to destroy me, foolish light-demon?"

Rowanwind glared at the DarkClan leader. "Your time as leader of DarkClan is over, Sly. I'm here to make sure that you will never kill another cat again."

Sly chuckled. "Then let's get on with it, light-demon. You think you're here to kill me? I cannot die!"

"We'll see about that," Rowanwind growled.

The two toms circled one another, their eyes never leaving each other. Everything else happening around them was completely forgotten. All that existed was Sly, Rowanwind, and their fight to the death.

Sly gave a cry and shot at Rowanwind. The ginger tom dodged and swiped at Sly's untorn ear. Fur tore beneath his claws and blood oozed out. Sly screamed and slammed Rowanwind to the ground. Rowanwind lifted his back legs and kicked Sly, sending him flying through the air. The black tom landed heavily on his wounded left side, making him cry out in pain.

Rowanwind rushed to Sly's side and swiped at the tom's exposed right shoulder. More fur tore beneath Rowanwind's claws. Glistening blood covered the DarkClan leader's right shoulder. Sly struggled to his feet, panting.

"Die!" Sly slashed a paw out at Rowanwind, hitting him on his left shoulder.

Rowanwind rolled away, his shoulder stinging from the blow. He quickly got back onto his feet and began to circle Sly once more. The DarkClan tom flicked his right leg, splattering blood everywhere.

"You won't win!" Sly hissed.

Rowanwind reared and slammed his paws into Sly's side. Unable to stand on his weakened front legs, Sly went down. "I think otherwise, Sly!" Rowanwind hissed into his ear. Rowanwind bit into the back of Sly's neck.

Sly's paw swiped upward, slapping one of Rowanwind's ears. Rowanwind leapt away, a little dizzy. He shook himself to clear his head.

Sly attempted to jump at Rowanwind, but the tom had little power left. He fell short, landing just in front of Rowanwind. Rowanwind's claws unsheathed, and he slammed his right paw against Sly's head. The tom fell to his side. His breathing was coming in short pants, his sides heaving with the effort to breathe.

"Can you feel the life slipping from your body?" Rowanwind sneered. "Can you feel your strength ebbing away? Feel that? That's what happened to every cat you killed that I cared about!"

Sly cried out as Rowanwind pressed his unsheathed claws into the deep gash in his left shoulder. The DarkClan leader's orange eyes glistened with tears. "Please, have mercy! Have mercy!"

Rowanwind pressed his other paw into Sly's neck, digging his claws into the sensitive flesh. "You don't deserve mercy, after everything you've done!" he whispered into the tom's bloody ear.

Rowanwind clawed Sly's back open. "That's for my mentor, Ashfang!" He dug his claws into the gash on Sly's shoulder, ripping and tearing. "That's for Dapplefoot!" He sliced open another gash in the tom's shoulder, even deeper than the first. "That's for my cousin, Cottonbrave!" He continued to claw and tear at Sly's body. "And that's for Quickleaf, and Meadowlark, and Icefur, and Reedclaw, and Webpelt, and Crookedfern!" His claws tore apart one of Sly's ears. "And that's for my leader, Clawstar!" Rowanwind leaned in close to Sly's ear. "And this, this is for every other cat that you hurt because of all the cats that you killed." Rowanwind's claws flashed in the moonlight as he ripped them across Sly's throat.

Sly let out a gurgle. Rowanwind heard the tom's last words as his life left him. "I should have left...when Decayingflesh...told me to..."

With a final gasp for air, Sly died beneath Rowanwind's bloody claws.

* * *

**End of Chapter Twenty-Three**


	26. Chapter Twenty Four

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of them.

* * *

**Chapter 24**

* * *

_As Rowanwind and Sly fought near the tree where leaders stood_ during Gatherings, on the other side of the clearing, another cat was fighting a short battle of his own. Tiger, one of RogueClan's members, was tearing at a DarkClan crow. His claws connected with the crow's chest, and it disappeared in a plume of gray smoke. Tiger lashed his tail in triumph. He looked around for another opponent, eager to keep fighting. Disappointment flared in his chest when he could find nobody who needed his assitance.

"You're an excellent fighter, young one," a voice mewed from the shadows.

Tiger turned to see a figure standing nearby. It wasn't a DarkClan cat, he was sure. This tom was a brown tabby with slashing black stripes and glowing amber eyes. Something was different about the tom, that much Tiger knew. There was a certain darkness about the tom that Tiger had never felt in another cat before.

"You need to learn manners, rogue," the tabby tom said, stepping out into the moonlight. "I gave you praise, and I get nothing in return?"

"Oh. Thank you," Tiger meowed. "I'm sorry, but who are you? You smell faintly of ThunderClan."

"My name does not matter," the tabby tom said. His amber eyes glinted intriguingly. "How would you like me to help you with your fighting skills?"

Tiger's ears perked in interest. "That sounds interesting. What can you teach me? I'm eager to learn."

The tabby tom walked closer to Tiger. "Oh, there is so much that I can teach you. But, first...I have to possess you!"

Tiger gave a cry of horror, but it was cut off sharply as the body of the tom with amber eyes touched him. Tiger's tabby body shivered from nose to tail-tip. A moment later, the tom blinked open his green eyes. An evil smile spread across his lips. He glanced around briefly before sneaking away, into the darkness...

* * *

"Sly is dead! Sly is dead!"

The call was screamed all around the clearing. More and more voices added to the noise, calling out that the leader of DarkClan was dead. Badgers and crows disappeared into plumes of smoke as their creators realized they were defeated.

The cats of ThunderClan, WindClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and RogueClan, as well as all of the kittypets, began to gather the DarkClan cats together in the middle of the clearing. The DarkClan toms and she-cats walked with their heads down and their tails dragging in the grass. It was clear that they knew they were completely defeated.

Rowanwind, who had climbed up into the tree the leaders stood in to speak, watched from above. He watched, cautiously, as the DarkClan cats sat, huddled together in the middle of the island clearing. Something needed to be done about them. But what could they possibly do with the cats, now that they were defeated?

A beam of moonlight suddenly came down onto Dusklight, who was still lying beside Ghostlight's lifeless body. Rowanwind heard a voice begin to whisper in his head. At first, he thought it might be Ghostlight's. But then, he recognized the voice of his first leader, Goldenstar.

"Attention!" Rowanwind meowed, loudly enough to get the attention of all the cats crying in triumph. "Attention!"

The Clan cats and their allies all fell silent and looked up at Rowanwind.

Rowanwind, listening closely to what Goldenstar was telling him, began to speak.

"Never again will this Clan before us be known as DarkClan! From this day forward, this Clan of dark-pelted cats will be known as LightClan! Your old leader is dead. He has no power over any of you any longer. StarClan chooses Dusklight as the new leader of DarkClan!"

Dusklight looked up from his brother's body with surprise. The DarkClan cats all stared incredulously at Rowanwind.

Continuing to listen to Goldenstar's voice, Rowanwind went on.

"All future leaders of LightClan will be given the name of star to signify they are leader of the new Clan. Dusklight will venture to the Moonpool to receive his leader name from StarClan. Any members of the Clan once known as DarkClan who refuse, leave us now!"

None of the DarkClan cats moved.

"Because of LightClan's past, a new deputy needs to be appointed. Dusklight, your first duty is to choose a deputy for LightClan. You must make your decision before moonhigh tomorrow night," Rowanwind went on.

"I do not need to think about it," Dusklight said. He rose to his paws and walked over to sit among the other cats who were once known as DarkClan. " I choose Snarl, my father, to be the deputy of LightClan!"

The black cat named Snarl came forward. "Are you sure, my son?"

"Of course," Dusklight replied. "I trust you the most, Snarl."

Rowanwind went on once more, telling the gathered cats what Goldenstar was saying to him. "Your next duty as leader, Dusklight, is to give each member of your Clan a warrior name. You may do this when you have settled into your new territory. Follow your brother's spirit. He will show you where your new home will be."

All of the cats gasped in surprise as a shimmering, white form appeared beside Dusklight. It was clear that the spirit was that of Ghostlight. Everyone watched as Ghostlight's spirit touched Dusklight's ear with his nose and whispered, "Fuhovoh, bhuthoh."

"May our ancestors watch over you in the same way that they watch over us," Rowanwind spoke up. "Go now, in peace, love, and faith. And remember, you are LightClan now. From this day onward, DarkClan is gone forever!"

The members of ThunderClan, WindClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, RogueClan, and all of the kittypets, cried out their victory. Following Ghostlight's spirit, Dusklight and his new Clan left the island to find their new home. Rowanwind watched them go, feeling a sense of happiness and peace that he could never remember feeling once in his entire life.

"WindClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan...you all may return home! We of ThunderClan grieve for your losses, as we have lost many in this final battle, as well," Rowanwind meowed. "Good luck with your healing."

"Good-bye, Rowanwind!" Graytail meowed from where he stood beside Angelstar's lifeless body. "May StarClan watch over ThunderClan!"

"Yes, good-bye!" Featherstar called out. She was leaning heavily on Lionstorm's shoulder.

"Good-bye and good luck, Rowanwind!" Crimsonstar meowed, shocking many of the cats in the clearing.

"Thank you, all of you," Rowanwind told them. "I hope the next time we meet, everything will be back to the way it should be."

The cats of WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan began to leave, the stronger cats carrying the dead bodies of their fallen members.

Rowanwind began to slowly climb down out of the tree. When he reached the blood-stained grass below, he looked up to see a familiar, black-pelted spirit sitting nearby. "Hello, Deathmask."

"I can't thank you enough, Rowanwind," Deathmask meowed. "I can finally stop worrying about the evil that DarkClan has been doing. My guilt for creating the Clan will never go away, but I knew it wouldn't."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Deathmask," Rowanwind said. He walked up to the spirit and touched his shoulder with his tail-tip. "If it's any consolation, I forgive you."

Deathmask's bright yellow eyes gleamed. "Thank you, Rowanwind. That does mean a lot." He gave a rough purr. "You've grown into a fine, young cat, Rowanwind."

"Thank you," Rowanwind said as Deathmask's spirit disappeared into nothing.

A large, silver tom walked up to Rowanwind.

"Gloom!" Rowanwind purred. "How did RogueClan fare during the battle? Did you lose anyone?"

"Thank our ancestors in NightClan, no!" Gloom replied. "Nobody was lost. I actually came to say good-bye. With DarkClan gone, we can breathe easier. We want to go and look for our own territory to live in."

Rowanwind looked around and saw the members of RogueClan walking up together. Smutty, the broad-shouldered white and black tom, was leading the other members. Coal and Pidgeon were trotting side by side, discussing parts of the battle. Beauty and her mate, Slick, brought up the rear with their kits, Flicker and Flower. He couldn't see Tiger anywhere.

Gloom turned to his small Clan. It was evident he noticed Tiger's absense as well when he asked Smutty, "Have you found Tiger yet?"

Smutty shook his head. "No. We looked all over the clearing. I think he snuck away after the battle. He was always more comfortable living by himself, you know."

Gloom nodded sadly. "It still would have been nice to have another strong member to help feed and take care of us."

Smutty nodded in agreement.

Gloom turned back to Rowanwind. "Well, we'll be off. It was a pleasure meeting you, Rowanwind. You're a very strong-willed cat. I'm sure our future generations will hear all about you."

"I'm honored," Rowanwind replied. "Good luck finding somewhere to live."

"And good luck to you, as well," Gloom replied. "I guess this is good-bye. Perhaps I will come and visit sometime, when I can."

Rowanwind nodded. "Good-bye."

"Good-bye! Good-bye!" the RogueClan members called as they left.

Another group of cats walked up to Rowanwind. All of the kittypets who had been living in the forest came and sat in front of Rowanwind. Francis stepped forward to speak for them.

"We wanted to thank you for making sure we were all taken care of," Francis said. "But the forests and hills of your homes are not where we are most comfortable. It was enjoyable, but we're ready to go home to our Twolegs...our housefolk."

"I understand," Rowanwind said. "Will you be able to find your way back to your Twoleg homes? Or do you need a warrior to escort you?"

Francis laughed. "We've lived in the forest and the hills for moons, Rowanwind. We fought in battle after battle against DarkClan. I think we can take care of ourselves on our way home."

Rowanwind nodded. "I guess this is good-bye, then."

"It might not be the last time you see us," Lola said with a purr. "We plan on coming to see our kits often."

"I'm not sure how that's going to work out," Rowanwind said. "You can't live with one paw in both worlds."

Francis and Lola glanced at each other. "We understand, Rowanwind. Perhaps we can see our kits during your Gatherings? It is when you all come together in peace, isn't it?"

Rowanwind nodded. "That could work. But your kits won't attend every Gathering, you know."

Francis and Lola nodded.

"Thank you again, Rowanwind," Lola said. "Good luck."

"May StarClan watch over you on your way home, my friends," Rowanwind replied with a purr.

Francis and Lola led Violet, Tulip, Murry, Andy, Oliver, Rudy, Josephine, Doodle, Jenny, Casey, Neeko, and Franklin away, back toward their homes with their Twolegs.

Thunderstripe walked over. "Ready to go home, Rowanwind?"

Rowanwind cuffed Thunderstripe's ear playfully with a paw. "What, you think I want to stay here on the island for the rest of my life? Let's go home, Thunderstripe."

* * *

The next morning, Rowanwind dragged himself up onto the Highledge. He looked down at the camp, full of cats moarning over the bodies of Webpelt, Reedclaw, Crookedfern, and Clawstar.

"All cats old enough to hunt for themselves, gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Rowanwind shouted.

The ThunderClan cats all turned and looked up at him, their eyes full of sorrow over all of the loved ones they had lost during the war against DarkClan.

"This morning, the sun dawned on a new time for ThunderClan...for every Clan living around the lake," Rowanwind spoke. "Our war with DarkClan is over. We lost many cats, but so did the other Clans. We made many friends and allies because of a common enemy. Some of our Clanmates are here because DarkClan came to the forest."

He looked at Maggotstripe and her brother, Whiskerheart, and at Stormypelt as well. All three of them had been brought to ThunderClan because of the war.

"It is because we had such strength in StarClan, and in each other, that we were able to defeat DarkClan. Nobody can say that I defeated the darkness that was DarkClan on my own. DarkClan was defeated with the help of all of you sitting before me," Rowanwind said. "And I thank you for that."

He paused and took a deep, steadying breath.

"Clawstar lost his last life during the final battle against DarkClan. With a heavy heart, I take his place as leader of ThunderClan," Rowanwind said. "As leader of ThunderClan, I need a deputy." His yellow eyes gleamed as he turned to a dark gray tom with a white face and paws and light yellow eyes. "I say these words before all of StarClan, so that they may hear and approve my choice. Granitetail will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

The morning sunlight shone bright down onto ThunderClan's camp.

Granitetail stared up at Rowanwind with surprise as his Clanmates all shouted his name in congratulations.

"Tonight, Frostflower and I will go to the Moonpool so that I may receive my nine lives," Rowanwind continued when the shouting had died down. "When I return tomorrow morning, I will no longer be Rowanwind."

"Rowanwind!" Stormypelt cried. "Rowanwind! Rowanwind!"

Other cats began to join in. Thunderstripe and Gingerheart, Frostflower and Maggostripe, Rainfur and her last two kits...one by one, all of ThunderClan began to chant his name. Rowanwind could hear other voices, voices of cats who had passed on to StarClan...Ashfang...Cottonbrave...Blackcloud...Meadowlark...Clawstar...calling out his name as well, until the entire ThunderClan camp was filled with the sound of his name being cheered.

Rowanwind felt his pelt warmed by the morning sunlight. That feeling of peace filled him again, until he felt that he could no longer contain the feeling inside of him.

ThunderClan was finally back to normal.

* * *

**End of Chapter Twenty-Four**


	27. Chapter Twenty Five

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Warriors, but I do own the characters created for this story. Please don't steal any of them.

* * *

**Chapter 25**

* * *

_That night, Rowanwind said good-bye to Thunderstripe,_ Gingerheart, and Stormypelt near the fresh-kill pile.

"I wish I could go with you," Stormypelt whispered as she brushed against him.

"This is just one of those things I have to do alone," Rowanwind told her. "I'll be okay, don't worry."

"Hurry back," Stormypelt said, giving his ear a quick lick.

"I'll try," Rowanwind replied. He waved his tail at his friends and mate in a last good-bye before trotting over to the tunnel entrance, where Frostflower was waiting for him.

"Ready, Rowanwind?" Frostflower asked.

Rowanwind nodded. "Of course."

They slipped out into the forest. Side by side, they padded away from their territory and up to where the Moonpool was tucked away in the forest. Rowanwind felt himself get more nervous as they drew closer and closer to the Moonpool.

"It's okay to be nervous, Rowanwind," Frostflower told him. "You aren't the first cat to be given nine lives by StarClan here."

"I know," Rowanwind replied. "It's just...when I receive my new name, so many new responsibilities are going to come with it. I'm not sure if I will be ready to handle it."

"Believe me, you are ready," Frostflower meowed. "Few cats as young as you get to be leaders, Rowanwind. You are certainly one of a kind."

They fell silent as the spiraling trail leading down to the Moonpool appeared. With Frostflower in the lead, they walked down the trail. Rowanwind could immediately feel the eyes of StarClan watching him. Unseen spirits brushed against him from all sides.

Together, Rowanwind and Frostflower sat beside the glowing water of the Moonpool. The moon was reflected on its surface, shining in all its glory.

"It's time, Rowanwind," Frostflower whispered.

With a deep breath, Rowanwind went and lapped at the cool water of the Moonpool. A chill spread throughout his entire body. He took a few paces back from the edge of the water, yawned, and curled up with his tail over his nose. As he drifted off to sleep, he waited for StarClan to speak to him...

For a moment, everything was cold, bone-chilling darkness. Rowanwind told himself that it would eventually go away, but after some time he began to panic. With a sudden pang deep inside him, his eyes flared open, revealing where he was.

Trees, with their leaves moving in the wind, circled a clearing of grass. The last time he had seen this clearing, it had been covered in blood. Now, warm sunlight beamed down from high above. His orange pelt was warmed by the sun's rays as they caressed him. He was on the island where the Clans came each full moon for their Gatherings.

There was a shimmer of light above him. He looked upward to see what appeared to be stars falling down out of the sky all around the clearing. As the shining dots of light touched the ground, the spirits of cats appeared. Rowanwind realized that they were cats from many moons before he'd been born. These cats were his ancestors from StarClan.

"Greetings, Rowanwind," a voice said. It sounded like the voices of all his lost loved ones, all speaking at once. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"

Rowanwind sat back on his haunches. "Yes. I'm ready."

A tom with glowing green eyes and a pelt of fire stepped forward. It wasn't difficult for Rowanwind to recognize Firestar.

"Congratulations, Rowanwind," Firestar whispered. "You've made it so far."

"Thank you, Firestar," Rowanwind replied.

The ginger tom turned and padded away.

A new tom came forward. Rowanwind recognized Goldenstar, his first leader. His amber eyes were full of pride.

"Hello, Goldenstar!" Rowanwind meowed.

"With this life, I give you courage," Goldenstar said. "Use it so that you can do whatever necessary to protect your Clan."

A sudden, searing pain sped through Rowanwind from nose to tail-tip. The pain was nearly unbearable. He squeezed his eyes shut, suddenly seeing blood splattering through the air. The faint sounds of battle cries and dying screams rang in his ears. As the pain subsided, his skin felt like it had been burned by a forest fire.

Was that how it felt to receive a life from StarClan? Was he going to have to bear that pain eight more times?

Goldenstar turned and walked away.

Another familiar cat walked up. It was Ashfang, his mentor, who he had lost during a battle against DarkClan. She was the reason Clawstar had made him deputy.

"Ashfang," Rowanwind whispered.

"With this life, I give you fellowship," Ashfang meowed. "Use it well to make friends that you will need."

A warmth spread through Rowanwind's body. The warmth pooled in his chest, growing deeper and warmer with each passing moment. He could hear Thunderstripe laughing and Gingerheart talking excitedly. He saw Cedarspirit and Cloverpelt, Darkeye and Silvermoon, Mistmeadow and Maggostripe...

When the visions passed, he opened his eyes to see Ashfang walking away.

Another ginger tom stepped forward. It was unusual to see him without the limp of pain Rowanwind was so used to seeing.

"Sprucebark," Rowanwind said with a purr.

"With this life, I give you heart," Sprucebark said softly. "Use it when your brain fails you."

Another feeling of warmth passed through Rowanwind, but this time it grew much hotter, much faster. He felt like he was being burned from the inside out. This time, he could see Stormypelt trotting toward him, hear her laughing, hear her purring...

The vision disappeared with a quick flash. Sprucebark had already walked away.

A tom with long, silver and gray fur and a dark gray tail walked forward. There was a happiness in Cottonbrave's yellow eyes that Rowanwind had never seen during his cousin's short life, but there was also something else in Cottonbrave's eyes that Rowanwind couldn't place. Worry? Regret?

"With this life, I give you justice," Cottonbrave mewed. "Use it wisely to tell the difference between right and wrong."

This time, there was no pain. Rowanwind simply felt like he could overcome any problem that arose.

Cottonbrave nodded to Rowanwind before turning and walking away.

A blue-gray tom came forward next. Rowanwind was surprised to see Icefur. He had hoped that Icefur would find his way to StarClan. This was clear evidence that his half sister's mate had.

"With this life, I give you forgiveness," Icefur said. "Use it for those who need it the most."

Rowanwind was filled with a sharp feeling of pity. He could remember feeling so angry at Icefur, for always being so grumpy, and then for abandoning his family and his entire Clan. Now, after forgiving Icefur for his mistakes, Rowanwind knew that sometimes, forgiveness was really all some cats needed.

As Icefur walked away, a white and cream she-cat walked up. Rowanwind immediately felt a sense of guilt at seeing Snowcloud, who had died because of poachers after learning that her mate, Oakpelt, had betrayed her with a she-cat from RiverClan.

"With this life, I give you loyalty," Snowcloud said, her soft blue eyes watery with tears. "Use it to forever watch over your Clan."

This time, Rowanwind felt a sense of loyalty he had never felt before for ThunderClan. He had always known that there was nothing he would ever do to betray ThunderClan, but now he had no doubts at all. The feeling reached all the way down to his toes.

Snowcloud turned away to allow a black and white tom with shining, yellow eyes to come up.

"Blackcloud," Rowanwind said, feeling sad that his best friend's father was here to give him a life.

"With this life, I give you determination," Blackcloud said. " Use it so that you may never give up in the face of danger."

Rowanwind felt like he was being torn in half by claws. He could see himself in battle after battle against unseen forces, never giving up. His body felt beaten and battered, but his heart and mind still raged on.

Blackcloud walked away, only to be replaced by Meadowlark, Thunderstripe's mentor and Ashfang's best friend.

"With this life, I give you truth," Meadowlark spoke. "Use it to know when cats aren't reliable."

A cold chill ran down Rowanwind's spine. The fur on his neck bristled. He felt suspicious of any and all strangers. Rowanwind closed his eyes and saw kittypets and rogue cats he didn't know walking through ThunderClan territory.

When he opened his eyes, a ninth and final cat was sitting in front of him. Light green eyes looked at him with a shimmer in them. The cat's gray pelt was shining with starlight.

"Clawstar," Rowanwind said. "I'm going to make you proud, Clawstar. I'm going to make all of you proud of me."

"With this life, I give you passion," Clawstar said. "Use it to know when something is important enough to you that you must act on it."

A cheery warmth spread through him. It felt like the sunlight was warming his insides as well as his pelt. Rowanwind purred.

"Thank you, Clawstar," Rowanwind whispered.

"I hail you by your new name, Rowanstar," Clawstar meowed. "Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of ThunderClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity."

"I will," Rowanstar said.

"Rowanstar! Rowanstar! Rowanstar!"

His new name rang out from all the StarClan cats around him. Ashfang came forward and pressed herself to him before running off. Sprucebark, Icefur, Snowcloud, Blackcloud, and Meadowlark all ran past him. Goldenstar and Clawstar each touched one of Rowanstar's cheeks with their noses before running off.

"Good-bye!" Rowanstar called to them as they became starlight again and drifted up into the sky. "Thank you!"

Cottonbrave, the only cat left, slowly padded up to him. The happiness had vanished from his eyes, replaced with that emotion Rowanstar couldn't place.

"I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but I thought you should be forewarned. Beware of a winded ghost, a flaming tiger, an eagle's feather, a fern of green, and a blazing moon!" Cottonbrave said.

"What? What does that mean, Cottonbrave?" Rowanstar asked.

"I'm sorry, Rowanstar. I can't tell you any more than that. I have to go." With those passing words, Cottonbrave turned and walked away. His entire pelt turned to starlight, and he disappeared up into the sky.

Rowanstar's eyes opened slowly. He looked around at the stone walls of the Moonpool. He turned to face Frostflower, who blinked at him in the darkness. Movement high up in the sky caught his eye. When he looked, he saw a star blaze across the sky, leaving a fiery tail behind it. Cottonbrave's words echoed in his head.

_Beware of a winded ghost, a flaming tiger, an eagle's feather, a fern of green, and a blazing moon..._

Rowanwind was left with only one question...

What could possibly happen next?

**The End**

Author's Notes

I can't believe the first half of my series is finally finished! I've gotten quite a few reviews that praise my work, so I guess I'm doing pretty well. I want to thank everyone who read my story, even if they didn't review. Like many authors, I love getting reviews telling me what my readers think about my story. It is great knowing that I have some readers who keep coming back to read more.

I'm sure some of my readers have tons of questions for me, so I invite anybody who has any questions to either ask them in a review or to send me a private message regarding their questions. If I get any questions from my readers, I will answer them on my profile page.

It's hard to believe that in a little over a year, I was able to finish three stories for a series. Most of my stories are started and never finished, so they sit collecting cobwebs on my computer. I have to give some credit to both my reviewers and the ladies who write the Warriors series; without them, I wouldn't have been passionate enough to finish the first half of my series in the first place. Every time I was having writer's block, I would read my reviews or one of the Warriors novels and my inspiration would come back. I'm sure it will be the same when I write the next three!

If I said that I didn't get attached to the characters I created, I would be lying. I even got attached to some of the characters who were only seen once or twice from the other Clans. Rowanstar (who will always be just Rowanwind to me) was such a great character to develop. His best friend, Thunderstripe, is modeled after the look of my own cat. (My own cat is a total kittypet, so in no way do they have similar personalities. Haha.) Oliver, one of the kittypets, was modeled after the look of one of my friend's cats. Smokey/Smokefrost, Stormypelt's brother, was modeled after the look of one of my neighborhood's cats that is the epitome of a kittypet. Most of the other cats were modeled after the look of cats in pictures I found all over the Internet.

I feel like I need to mention some of the cats that I fell in love with while writing this series...

ThunderClan: fierce and brave

**Granitetail** - The new deputy of ThunderClan! I just love him for his loyalty and unwavering sensibility.

**Thornfur** - Thunderstripe's uncle! I loved writing about him! He had such a strong bond with Blackcloud. I regret that I didn't show that bond more often.

**Ashfang** - How can I not love Ashfang? She was just so awesome! I totally cried when I killed her off.

**Cloverpelt** - Such a sweetie pie! She sort of reminds me of me in warrior form!

**Stormypelt **- She definitely reminds me of my best friend: unwavering determination and love, all the way!

**Cottonbrave** - Almost forgot to mention him! His often nasty attitude gave me a chance to spice things up in the camp every once in a while. Thanks for being a bit of a grump, Cottonbrave! That's why I love you so much!

RiverClan: clever and strong

**Timberpelt** - I don't know why, but she is my favorite RiverClan warrior. She's just so awesome! I wish I had made her appear more often.

**Lionstorm** - The other Twoleg turned cat! He is just so brave and strong, how can I not like him?

**Ashwhisker** - That pesky son of Featherstar! He sort of reminded me of a younger version of my little brother.

**Maplerose** - For one, I just absolutely love her name! I actually have a stuffed animal cat that I named Maplerose. Her love for Oakpelt was so strong, yet she gave him up because it was the best thing for both of them. That, and she had the strength to pass one of her kits off to ThunderClan, when she had all the right to take both of the kits and disappear from Oakpelt's life forever!

ShadowClan: Wily and Proud

**Crimsonstar and Harmonyfur -** Two sisters who have the same, grumpy attitude. I loved writing scenes when Crimsonstar was around...she always has to go against whatever anyone else says! She and Harmonyfur are extremely close, though that wasn't really shown at all.

**Pips/Pineroot** - After he became a ShadowClan cat, I thought I was going to lose all of my respect for Pips the kittypet, who loved Stormypelt more than she ever knew. However, I think I like Pineroot much better as a Clan cat!

**Roguestripe and Furyclaw** - As apprentices of ShadowClan, they were definitely the prideful ShadowClan cats they were being raised to be! Is anybody excited to hear that they will show up more often, in all their pride, in the next half of the series?

WindClan: swift and loyal

**Angelstar and Graytail** - I love both of their names! I felt terrible for killing off Angelstar, but I wanted Graytail to have a shot at being leader! We'll just have to see where that goes, won't we?

**Rustclaw, Acornleaf, and Roseheart** - Angelstar's kits! I love this trio of siblings. Rustclaw and Acornleaf showed up quite often because I liked them so much!

**Archaicfrost** - What happened to him after he went off to join DarkClan? Not even I'm quite sure! But, I have a feeling Sly killed him in his sleep one night...

Once again, thank you to all of my readers for reading! And thanks to all my reviewers as well! I had so much fun writing _Warriors Descended_! I hope you all stick around for the next three, called _Warriors Descended A New Age_! Keep an eye out for them in the future!

So, what's in store for the future of the Clan cats who live around the lake? A new generation brings with it a new prophecy! I can't give away too much now, but just know that the war against DarkClan was just the beginning! More adventures are coming in the future, so stay on the lookout for...

**_Warriors Descended A New Age_ 4: Journey of Knowledge**

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

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